Ending Start
by uponthemirrorglass
Summary: ."She looked at him and it was the last pair of eyes she’d seen before everything became black and silent." DASEY Complete. Alternate Ending posted.
1. Silence

**AN: So here's a new one. Some AU for my readers... I watch a lot of LOST so forgive me if you hate it...it was my inspiration. lol I'm sad that way. Anywhoo...hopefully I can keep it interesting... or good for you guys who end up reading it. ;)  
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**Disclaimer: I don't anything...esp LOST :(**

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Chapter 1: Silence.

"Casey," Derek came from his bedroom and made his way out into the living room, one that he shared with his roommate and step-sister, Casey McDonald, "Cas--"

She waved an angry hand, "Shhhh!" She sat up crossed legged; watching the TV intently.

He sighed and took a seat next to her. "LOST? Reall--"

She took her hand and put it over his mouth, "Please shut up. Flashback!" She took her hand away and went back to the show that occupied all of her mind. Derek sighed and sat back while he waited for her. He was startled when she screamed in excitement. Casey laughed at herself and looked at Derek, "Okay, it's a commercial, what do you want?"

He shook his head in joke disappointment, "It's about time." She frowned purposely. "Anyway, are you finished packing or are you too busy watching your stupid shows about people getting stranded on islands?" He smirked.

She threw him a fake glare, "Of course, I'm finished packing. What kind of a question is that?"

He shrugged, "A stupid and very obvious question."

Casey grinned and decidedly wanted to tease him, "Aw, you just want to talk to me, Derek. It's okay. You can admit you like having conversations with me." It was a normal habit of hers to do this to him.

He scoffed, "Someone's full of herself." He shook his head and whined, "I'm so friggin' bored, Casey!" He wasn't really bored, he was just looking for an excuse to be near her or just talk to her. Derek just wouldn't admit it to her. Neither would he give her the satisfaction of gloating. At least not yet.

"Pshh. Right." She joked, "So you wanna go out?"

He blushed, "Wh-what, Casey?" He snorted, "We can't--"

She stared with confusion, so she decided to clear it up for him, "Go out like for a drink or something?"

He laughed nervously, "Right. Right. Yeah, sure."

She smiled, "Alright, well leave me alone for a while so I can finish LOST!" She put excited emphasis on the title.

He laughed at her and got up and went back into his room. Casey looked back toward his door and smiled then immediately got back to her show, "AHH! JACK! DON'T LIE!! IT'S KATE!!"

Derek went into his room and quickly rummaged through his closet for something decent to wear. He wanted to look nice for his night out with his roommate, his step-sister, the person he had grown to actually like. Was it more than like? He wasn't sure, but it was something. Derek was _positive_ it was something, he just couldn't shake off…or maybe he just didn't _want_ to shake it off.

His cell phone rang, "Hey Sam."

"Hey, D. What you up to tonight?"

"Nothing," Derek lied as he picked out a nice polo from his closet.

"Hm, well, aren't you leaving tomorrow?"

"Yep," Derek was hardly listening to Sam.

"Then let's go out tonig--"

"Can't," Derek let out. He heard Casey scream from the other room and started laughing.

"What's funny?"

Derek took a quick peek out his door and saw her in her intense LOST mode, "Casey screaming at that dumb show."

"Ohhh…"

Derek could hear the smugness dripping in his voice, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't want to go out because you wanna spend _more_ time with Casey." Sam scoffed, "I mean isn't it enough that you live with her? Not only that but you chose to take her on the trip instead of me? Messed up, D."

Derek rolled his eyes, "No, it's not even that. I am still packing and you know I only chose Casey to come with because she begged like a crazy person for weeks!"

Sam laughed, "Uh-huh. You know, if _I_ ever win MVP for the team and get a much radder vacation spot, you aren't gonna be my first choice. Maybe a backup."

"Ha-Ha." Derek let out sarcastically with a laugh, "Well I'm gonna finish pac--"

"Is that what they call it now?" Sam couldn't resist.

"Shut up." Derek laughed, "_Like_ I was saying, I'm gonna finish packing. I'll talk to you later."

"Aight, D."

Derek got dressed and looked at himself in the mirror, "Tonight. Have fun. Tomorrow. Hawaii, maybe I'll tell her. I'll tell her." He was about to walk out of his room but went back to the mirror to take one last vain look at himself. He smirked, "How could she resist this." Derek finally tore himself away from his mirror and out of his room, "Hey Case! I'm ready." He went over to turn the TV off and found her asleep on the couch. He was upset to say the least. Derek sighed and looked down at his clothes, "Got dressed for nothing," he looked down a sleeping Casey, "Thanks a lot, Case." He kept his gaze on her for a minute longer and softened at the sight, "Can't be mad at 'cha though." He kneeled down and put his arms underneath her neck and her knees.

Derek picked her up and immediately she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Jack…" she mumbled, "tell Kate you love her…"

Derek let out a tiny laugh, "Too much LOST, Casey." He walked over to her room and gently dropped her in her bed. She lazily got comfortable, frightening even as she started to snore and drool. Derek still smiled, "If Jack could only tell Kate, Casey…he would…" He raised an eyebrow at himself, "Metaphors…argh! You're rubbing off on me." Derek stood up and was tempted to give her a little kiss on the forehead. "She's sleeping, she won't know," he whispered to himself as he bent down and gave her one, "Night, Case." He left.

"Night, Derek." She mumbled and turned over to get comfortable for bed again.

He went back to his room, where he got changed back into his PJ's and hockey tee. "Timing. All about timing, D. Hawaii. Perfect." Derek quickly fell asleep and awaited the next morning where he would fly off to a romantic or hopefully _will be_ romantic get-a-way.

--

"Case?" He knocked on her bedroom door, "Casey?" He sighed with annoyance, "Casey, get your ass up! We have to go!"

"Derek, leave me alone…" She groaned tiredly.

He opened up the door and brought himself in her room, "Casey, we are going to miss the flight if you don't wake up. So get up!"

She tossed and turned in her bed. She finally stopped and sighed, "Fine."

He teased, "You see, Casey, you should've just stayed up with me and slept on the plane." She rolled her eyes and got out of the bed, "You got your stuff all ready?"

"For the last time, yeah," she sat on the edge of her bed, "Can you grab my bag for me?" She smiled innocently at him, "Please, Derek?"

He busted out into laughter, "No. You got two hands attached to anchored arms. Pick it up yourself."

She wrinkled her nose, "Quite the gentleman." She got up and picked up her duffle bag and dragged it out her room. Derek just watched her struggle and laughed at her, "Why are you laughing at me, Derek?" He shrugged. "You haven't been a jerk to me in quite some time, please don't start it up again. At least not when we go."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah." He walked past her and went to get his things.

Casey went into the bathroom to freshen up. She took a look in the mirror and sighed, "I hope everything goes great during this trip." She couldn't shake that feeling that Derek was planning to be a prick because he was starting already that morning.

She was startled from her thoughts when he loudly knocked on the door, "Casey, hurry up. I gotta take a leak!"

Casey already felt disgusted, "Ugh," she opened the door, "that really wasn't necessary."

"Well _sor-ry,_" he squeezed right past her and she stared at him in disbelief. He was about to go but he turned his head to look at her, "You gonna watch me or…"

She immediately shut the door, "Why is he acting like such a…ugh!" She stomped over to her room and put on her "Plane outfit" and sat on the couch with her bag waiting for Derek. It was Casey's turn to be impatient, "What the hell, Derek, you're the one taking forever!"

He came out with his duffle over his shoulder, "Calm down. I'm ready. Let's go."

Casey took a deep breath and got up to follow him out the door. She just couldn't help but think things were just gonna get worse from here.

--

"Derek…" Casey whined.

He sighed as they stood in front of their row, "What Casey?"

"Can I have the window seat?" She smiled brightly. Even though it didn't work earlier, she thought 'why not try again?' "Please?"

It didn't, "No. You're lucky I'm even bringing you with me. So _I_ take the window seat." This time he smiled brightly at her and it was all sarcastic. She could tell.

Derek made his way in the row first and Casey reluctantly second. Casey only hoped that the seat next to her would just stay vacant. Casey stared and stared as people passed her row and fortunately for her no one sat in that third seat. Casey let out a breath of relief and stared at the repetitive images being shown on the portable TV in front of her. She looked over at Derek, who stared intently out the window. Casey rolled her eyes and decided to just ignore him. She sat back and got comfortable. Subconsciously, she closed her eyes and it was abruptly interrupted by the huge smelly man that squeezed his way into that third seat.

Derek turned and saw Casey and the huge guy. He nudged her on the shoulder and Casey looked at him, "11 hours of that." He started to laugh at her.

Casey shook her head in disgust at him. "I didn't realize I was stuck in the past," she muttered and stared ahead. Derek rolled his eyes and stared out the window. Casey sat back in her seat and immediately closed her eyes to salvage what was left of this plane ride. Things were just going downhill from here. It would continue to do so.

--

"Casey!" She was being shook on the shoulder from her left. She arched her eyebrows and got comfortable again, "CASEY!" she was being shook once more and at that split second she felt her stomach drop significantly. She abruptly awoke and finally the sounds matched her sight as the people around her were freaking out. She looked to her left and saw Derek in panic mode, "Casey! Finally!!"

Casey was terrified, "Derek? Derek! What's going on!!"

The Flight attendant went on the intercom, "The Pilot has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts." The plane took another plunge.

He shook his head in terror, "Casey, I don--"

The oxygen masks fell from their compartment. The flight attendant came on the intercom once more and this time Casey couldn't make out anything she was saying. All she heard was panic, crying, yelling as she tried to get her mask on. She was struggling and Derek took it from her and helped her put it on. "Put yours on!" She had to yell due to the commotion and the pressure from the downward motion of the plane.

Derek quickly put his on and grabbed Casey's hand. They both stared up at the ceiling because that was all they could do. The motion going faster and faster and Casey squeezed his hand tighter. They were going down and it wasn't long before they knew it'd be over. Casey didn't know what would happen from here. Would she and Derek die? Would they survive? Would one make it and the other no? All the thoughts ran through Casey's mind in a blink of an eye.

It was Derek's turn to squeeze her hand and he motioned for her to look at him. She looked at him and it was the last pair of eyes she'd seen before everything became black and silent.

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**so...**


	2. Bright Blue Sky

**AN: Forgive me for the shortness that is this chapter...I guess it's more like a visual chapter...  
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**Disclaimer: Nothing owned. **

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Casey woke up. The beautiful bright blue sky hovering over her. Turning her head to the left: trees. Turning her head to the right: trees. She slowly propped upward until she felt a sharp pain her stomach. "Shit." She put her hand over the left side of her stomach and it stung like a, "Bitch!" she groaned aloud. She held her hand over it and tried to get up once more.

The excruciating pain would only worsen as she tried to physically stand on her legs. Her left leg was bleeding profusely, "Motherf—Agh!" She hopped on her right leg for balance. Years of dancing finally came in handy for something. Yeah, that something being one-leg less on an island but still handy.

She limped and tried to look for an exit out of the field of trees. "Where is everyo--" Just then she realized she wasn't on this plane alone. She started to breathe erratically, "Oh my God." She looked around and panicked, "Derek?!" She spun in a circle, "Derek?!" Casey realized that didn't help because she was losing blood and it made her even more dizzy. She stared through the trees to look for a sliver of hope. For an exit. An exit that would lead her to people. To Derek. She finally saw the smoke bristling above. The charcoal grey fog overlapping with the bright blue sky, gave her a direction to follow.

Casey slowly paced through the trees, her hand over her stomach still and her limping left leg. "Derek?!" she called out some more. There still was no answer or sign of other survivors. "Derek?! Anyone?! Derek!!" She knew she wouldn't have an answer, at least not yet because she was still in the trees but she just couldn't help but start to cry. She was terrified. More questions ran through her mind. Was Derek alive? Is anyone else still alive? How would she get home? Would people come for the survivors of the crash? How long would they stay here? She wiped her face with her free hand, "Derek?" she silently cried.

She made it out of the trees and she saw a storm of people there. With the storm of people came the scenery. For a disaster, it was quite the _beautiful _disaster. There was the plane, the plane that carried all these people to the most opposite of safety. That plane was settled next to the most clear blue ocean one could ever witness. Casey had a quick thought where she sort of just wished Derek and her were there under different circumstances.

The thought quickly subsided as she saw the people around her again. She was able to sigh with relief. Now she had to find him. It didn't help that there were so many people running everywhere. Back and forth, panic ridden. "Derek?!" she looked around as she passed people. It scared her even more that the bodies lying on the sand were officially lifeless as there kneeled down their loved ones; crying their eyes out at the sight of death. It made Casey even more emotional, "DEREK?! DEREK VENTURI?! WHERE ARE YOU?! DEREK!" She cried out as loud as she could.

Casey stood silent and crying; holding her wounds where she realized they didn't hurt as much as losing the person she was close to, or was close enough to. The person that invited her to come on this trip. The person she had grown to actually stand being around.

Casey wiped her tears and called out once more, "Derek?!" Nothing. She started getting light-headed and was forced to sit down on the sand. She stretched her leg out and applied more pressure to her stomach. It was the last thing on her mind. Casey closed her eyes and saw the vivid image of Derek's terrified eyes staring at her. His face half covered with his oxygen mask. His hand holding hers before everything went black.

She wiped her face and was immediately forced to open her eyes as she heard other people yelling, "Johnny?!" Johnny?!" a woman screamed out just as Casey did a minute ago. She approached Casey and cried, "Have you seen my Johnny?!"

Casey shook her head sadly, "No, I'm sorry."

The lady ran off, "Johnny?!"

"Derek?!" she tried once more. Still nothing. She arched her eyebrows in frustration and sadness. She could only hope he was just lost and he wasn't that forbidden "D" word.

A man ran screaming out, "Viv!! Where are you?! Viv!"

He ran past Casey and all she could do is shake her head in sympathy. All the people screaming out for their loved ones only helped Casey mentally slap herself. She knew she shouldn't just sit there and cry about injuries. She had to go look for Derek. She needed that assurance that he was fine and alive. That maybe he was looking for her too. She could only hope that was the case.

Casey slowly got up and continued the search for Derek. "Derek?! Derek?! It's Casey! Please!! If you can hear me?! Derek! Right now would be a great time to hear one of your beloved sarcastic comments!" She sighed. Nothing was working but she wouldn't give up. She went on the other side of the plane and looked there, "Derek?!" All she could think was how ridiculous it would be if she found Derek over on this side of the beach due to the fact that they were next to one another. They held onto one another as well. Then a light bulb went off in Casey's noggin, "The trees!" She realized she didn't look around that area long enough, "Derek, I'm coming back there!"

Casey paced toward the area where she awoke. She tried to go as fast as she could while rummaging through the branches, "Derek?! If you can hear me don't hesitate to let me know you're okay!" Casey was getting frustrated with the hanging leaves on branches that kept smacking her in the face. She only had one free hand to smack them right back and most of the time they would hit her for the second time, "DAMMIT!" She was losing her temper, "DEREK?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" she cried out with anger that immediately filled her eyes with tears again.

Casey went farther into the jungle, "Derek?! Please!!" She broke down now; standing there in the middle of a field of green trees, crying. Alone. No Derek. Anywhere. She started to get light-headed. It was no surprise seeing that she was losing a lot of blood in two areas of her body. More on her leg than her stomach. "Dere--" She couldn't even finish the last part. Her eyes immediately closed and everything went white this time around.

--

Casey arose out of bed with her eyes still closed. It was dark and she was too tired to open any lights. She felt around the walls to help guide her to the bathroom. She used it and made her way back to the bed and buried herself in her covers. She scratched her itchy left leg as well as her stomach. "Thank goodness it was just a dream…"

She closed her eyes.

--

"Casey?!" she heard someone calling out to her. "Casey? Wake up! Please?" She felt hands stroking her cheek gently. "Casey, can you hear me?"

She slowly stirred her head to move and fluttered her eyes open. She saw that bright blue sky hover over her once more and she knew she wasn't home. She was still on this island, "It's not a dream." Casey said quietly to herself.

"Casey, are you talking to yourself?"

Casey turned her head slightly to the left and that bright blue sky was covered with a face. A face she was searching everywhere for. She saw him. Finally. "Derek?"

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**:):**


	3. Faces of Derek

**AN: So I'm pretty much shaping out how this story will go...and I should clear up that this story will be completely it's own story...and not LOST related. The only things I got from LOST was the plane crash and being stranded on an island stuff Oh! and Casey's addiction to the show. So sorry if that might suck for some :( **

**It's going to continue to go slow paced...and I'm still trying to make it good...;) **

**Another quick note... I heart you guys so much that I left a park party real quick to come and post! bwahahah...I'm sad like that. lol k on with the reading.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned. **

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"Derek?" Casey rubbed her eyes to make sure he was actually there.

He nodded with a slight laugh, "Yeah, Casey. It's me."

She shook her head in confusion, "But I was looking for you everywhere!" She smacked his shoulder, "I went into the jungle and…" she arched her eyebrows; remembering, "Everything went white."

"Casey, you fainted."

Confusion on her face once again, "How did you know?"

He pointed to her bleeding leg and all Casey could think was _duh_, "Yeah, I woke up in the jungle too and I followed the smoke and I recognized you from a mile away. I started to freak out because you were unconscious. So I brought you out here hoping you'd wake up."

She nodded knowing that made sense, "When I fainted I had the most random dream, Derek."

"About…"

"We were still home. Well I just went to use the bathroom during the nigh--"

"You always use it in the middle of the night."

She rolled her eyes, "I thought all this was a--" She was interrupted by the feel of Derek's hand on her bleeding leg; dumping beach water on it, "Ow! What the hell are you doing?!" Casey sat up and realized her stomach wasn't hurting as much as it did earlier, "Derek--"

He dumped water on her leg once more and saw her cringe, "Casey, just don't complain. Salt water helps wounds, duh."

Casey had to admit she was a bit impressed, "Since when did you become a boy scout, Dr. Venturi?"

"Since I watched a lot of the Discovery Health shows," he joked, "They can be quite interesting." He looked around then looked at Casey, "Do you have like a bandana or a piece of cloth or a shirt or something?"

"Yeah, hold on." Casey looked around, "I think I have one in my bag." Sarcasm of course as she blankly looked at Derek, "I don't have a bag, you genius!"

Derek raised an eyebrow, "So that's a no?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Yeah, Derek. That's a no." Derek laughed.

Casey's eyes were glued on him as he took off the outer shirt he had on. He just had his undershirt on now and Casey just wouldn't stop looking. She felt kind of dirty in a way. "Alright, all done." He turned to look at her and she finally stared away. Trying to play it off but he knew it. Derek let out a light laugh and smirked at her, "Like what you see, Case?"

Honestly Casey _did_ like what she saw but she wouldn't give the satisfaction of throwing it in her face. She turned and stared blankly, "No."

He snorted, "Right. Well your leg is well wrapped up. You should be better now."

She nodded and smiled sincerely, "Thanks, Derek."

He looked over at her and squinted due to the sun now beaming brighter in his direction, "No problem, Casey. Just needed to make sure you're not gonna slow me down."

She rolled her eyes, "Knew that couldn't last long."

He laughed while he sat up next to her; propping up on his arms from behind him. Both looked toward the beach, "You think people are coming to get us?"

She shrugged, "I don't know but I really hope so, Derek. Soon."

Derek looked around at the people and the destruction that was their plane, "Doesn't seem real, huh Casey?"

She shared his vision, "It doesn't." She looked over and saw the same people crying, the same lifeless bodies lying in the sand, the same people yelling and screaming out for the people they couldn't find. This time her eyes fell on something new. Something that made her _want_ to cry. She patted Derek's leg and pointed in that direction. There they both watched a woman. This woman, whose head was dripping with blood, was crying as she held her lifeless baby. She cried endlessly and all that baby gave her was silence. Both Derek and Casey cringed at the sight.

Derek shook his head and looked at Casey, who was already crying, "Casey, don't look anymore." He nodded toward the beach, "Just stare out there. It'll put your mind as ease."

She wiped her face and looked toward the water. They both just looked out into the ocean. The beautiful clear blue ocean that was unlike anything you've seen in front of you. The water that made you just want to jump in and have fun. But now. Now there could be no fun. No fun because of where they were. Stranded.

Casey couldn't tell what Derek was thinking at the moment but she knew exactly how she was feeling. She was relieved that Derek was alive and well.

Casey sniffled, "I'm just really glad you're okay."

He nodded slowly; staring ahead, "Yeah, Casey…feelings mutual." He sighed loudly, "What the hell are we going to do--"

"I'm sure people are on their way here. This is a huge crash and there's a ton of people who survived like we did. That can't go unnoticed." Casey wasn't sure if she even believed her own words, she just knew she had to be positive. See the bright side of this disaster. An oxymoron if she ever knew one.

Derek was silent for a minute or two. It was obvious to Casey that he was thinking. He looked at her seriously, "What if they don't?"

Casey started to breathe erratically and dropped her head in her hands, "I don't know, Derek!"

Her shoulders started to shake and Derek immediately rubbed her back for comfort, "Casey, don't cry." He scooted closer to her, "We have every right to freak out right now."

She snorted, "Yeah."

"Casey, we're gonna be fine, alright?"

She lifted her head to look at him, "How are you so sure, Derek?"

"I'm alive and you're alive. That's all that matters. You're alive, Casey, and that's all I could've asked for right now. If we're both okay and we stick together through this we'll be fine." He told her seriously.

She smiled and couldn't help but tease him, "Derek that was really sweet." He wrinkled his nose while Casey snickered. She then raised an eyebrow at him, "You think we won't clash heads?"

He shrugged, "Probably, Casey. It's what we do best. We just gotta make sure we don't leave each other's sight. Especially if we're stuck here for another day."

Casey started to think the worst again, "More than a day. What the hell are we going to do here for more than a day!

Derek sighed, "Casey, for the last time, I don't know."

Casey shook her head and stared past the ocean, "We're gonna be stuck here. No one's going to come! We'll be stranded he--"

Derek put his hand over her mouth to shut her up, "Casey, shut up." She did, "Give us a few more hours on this beach and if no one comes your welcome to freak out. I won't stop you. Hell, I'll probably join you." He let go, "Just tone it down, alright?"

She knew he was right, "Fine. But once I start freaking out later, and hopefully I won't, you can't complain."

He nodded, "Fine. Deal."

They were both quiet. Casey looked down at her leg and saw Derek's shirt wrapped around it. She then started to freak out once more. She couldn't help it. Casey looked at Derek, "Our things, Derek. Our clothes! All our belongings! It's all gone!"

Derek sighed, "Not necessarily."

She calmed down for a second to raise an eyebrow at this knowledgeable Derek, "What do you mean? The plane crashed, Derek."

He looked over at the plane, "We plummeted down where the front of the plane hit first. Our bags are usually stored underneath the plane. If we go over there we can probably get out our things. Or _try_ to look over there and search." Casey just stared at him with a slight smile. He let out a nervous laugh, "Wh-what?"

Casey crossed her arms; still smiling, "Derek Venturi, I am beyond impressed with you."

"TV can release very useful information. Especially info that helps us when we've crashed on an island." He stood up and offered her a hand. She took it and carefully stood up, "Careful, Casey. Your leg is still pretty bad." He looked at her, "You know what? Maybe we should wait it ou--"

Casey shook her head, "Absolutely not. Let's go… unless you want to go--"

He shook his head as well, "No. You're coming with. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Casey was just feeling all sorts of emotions toward this smart and strong Derek. She liked it. "You sure you can walk?"

Casey quickly realized the overprotective Derek was going to get annoying. Fast. "Yes, Derek. I. Can. Walk."

He took her left arm and put it around his neck then he wrapped his right arm around her body to help support her as they began to walk, "Planes not _too_ far."

"It kinda is." Casey let out a laugh.

"Yeah…" Derek shared her laugh, "crap."

They began their trek over to the plane...


	4. Unfair

**AN: I don't really have much to say... :(**

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned.**

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She sighed, "Derek, for the last time I said I'm fine. I can walk on my own."

Derek groaned loudly and dropped her, "There. Happy now?"

Casey glared at him from the ground, "Thanks a lot, Derek."

He went down and helped her up, "Sorry but after you kept saying the same thing over and over a billion times that was the only thing I could think of doing to shut you up. So sorry."

"Sorry for being annoying," she muttered it in that childish way where you say it but don't really mean it.

Derek snorted, "Yeah, right."

Casey screamed in frustration, "I'm really trying hard here, Derek."

"I know, I know. Okay, calm down." They approached what looked like a huge tunnel that _was_ their aircraft. The front cockpit and back tail of the plane were missing. "We're here." Derek and Casey crawled their way up into the body of the plane and they weren't alone, "Looks like we're not the only smart ones." There stood two other guys: an elder man and a younger guy, probably around the same age as Derek and Casey. Derek approached them and Casey not too far behind, "Any luck finding anything?"

The elder man shook his head, "Nothing so far but we just got in here. We came to look for our suitcases but thought we could find some food and other supplies. So we're still searching. You're welcome to help look around." Derek nodded and the guy brought out his hand, "I'm Ed."

Derek let out a light laugh as he shook his hand, "Ed. Like my brother. I'm Derek and this is Casey."

Ed shook Casey's hand, "Nice to meet you." He then motioned over to his left, "This is my son, Charlie."

Charlie shook Derek's hand and made his way over to Casey and let out a light grin, "_Hello_ Casey…" Ed smacked his son over the head, "Ow."

Casey blushed with embarrassment due to the fact she was getting hit on at the worst possible time, "Hi?" She shook his hand and nervously looked at Derek.

Derek, who glared at Charlie, spoke, "I forgot to mention, this _is_ my girlfriend."

Casey stared at Derek with wide eyes as he fetched her a look to just go with it. She reluctantly did and nodded toward Ed and Charlie, "Yes, Derek is my boyfriend."

Ed nodded and smiled, "That's nice. Young love." Ed looked their current surrounding as did the other three, "It's unfortunate this had to happen though."

Derek nodded, "Yeah," he wrapped a lazy arm around Casey's neck, "just glad we survived it. A lot of people didn't."

Ed nodded sadly, "Yes…" He kept talking to Derek while Charlie kept staring at Casey. Casey was kind of uncomfortable with his eyes literally burning holes through her clothes. She looked around and found the seat where she and Derek sat. "…so let's keep searching. Afterward we can check the under part of the fuselage. Hopefully we can find some suitcases and such. Gotta be prepared, right?"

Derek nodded, "Yeah. Sounds good," he looked at Charlie whose eyes were still on Casey. He looked over at her, "right, _babe_?" He said loudly so the guy would get a clue. Charlie wrinkled his nose at them.

Casey played along, "Sound great, _sweetie_." She muttered through a smile.

Ed and Charlie walked off to their part of the plane. Casey immediately took Derek's arm off of her, "What the hell were you thinking?" she screamed in a whisper.

"Did you see creepy perv staring at you?!" Derek the same, "Don't tell me you like him!"

Casey didn't. Far from liking. She even agreed with the term 'Creepy Perv' but she decided she wanted to mess with Derek a bit. It was her nature to do so ever since they'd been living together, "What's it to you if I like him or not?"

Derek let out a light laugh, "You're kidding right?" She shrugged and walked off into the direction of their seats. Derek followed her, "Casey, you don't like h--" She made her way inside their row. "Hey! This is where we sat."

She looked at him and clapped, "Great job, Detective Venturi!" He glared at her. "I wonder if my bag is still around here…" She got down on her knees, which pretty much pained her but she knew she would feel a lot better with her, "Bag!" She reached over and grabbed it then stood up and looked at Derek excitedly, "My bag, Derek!! I guess that's why they tell you to store your things in front of you…" she smiled then looked back up at him.

He nodded slowly. Not as excited as Casey was. She could tell. "Is there anything in there that'll save our lives? Maybe get us off this island perhaps?"

Casey thought for a second, "No" she expressed sadly. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her cell phone, "Yes!" He hugged her tightly, "Wow, not helping my stomach much, Derek." Casey let out uncomfortably.

He got off of her and she saw how much he lit up like a child getting a new toy, "Sorry. Sorry. Turn your phone on! I want to get out of here!!"

"I'm on it. I'm on it." Casey turned on her phone and of course, "No service. Shit! Great, this is just friggin' great!"

Derek sighed, "It was too good to be true."

Casey threw her useless phone back in her bag and noticed the other things she had in there, "Derek, I have some food in my bag. Hmm…not much, but enough."

Derek got excited again, "Casey Poppins, see I knew you were good for something."

Casey thought that was pretty clever so she let out a laugh, "We definitely have to find more though because you eat like a pig and I'll end up starving."

Derek grabbed her hand and they went to the back of cabin where the flight attendants usually set up, "Ah-ha!" There sat in front of them were massive amounts of chips, crackers, peanuts, water, and sodas. "Jackpot!"

Casey was really excited now. Then she realized it wasn't just them on this flight. There were so many more people who needed these as well. "Should I go call Ed and Ch--"

Derek scoffed at her, "Your boyfriend? I don't think so." Casey rolled her eyes. "Well there's so much. Grab some for us and then we'll leave the rest for everyone."

"Only the amount that's fair." Casey was just caring that way.

It was Derek's turn to roll his eyes, "I know, Casey. I _know_ there are others out there."

"Good." Casey grabbed some food and water for them . "Okay, enough Derek?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Let me get Ed and your boy," he cringed. Casey could tell he wasn't taking it too well. It only made her enjoy messing with him more. As she stood there alone in the quiet she started to recall all that Derek had done so far. Helping her out of the jungle, taking care of her leg, supporting her as they walked over to the plane, then she was confused as to why he chose to call—"There's a whole crap load of food supplies back here. It should be enough for everyone since they _were_ for the passengers." Derek looked at Casey, who lost her train of thought as they walked in, "You okay?" He whispered.

She nodded, "I'm fine."

--

The four of them headed to the underbelly of the fuselage. They all hoped their suitcases were there. Especially Casey, who bled on her shirt and pants, she felt disgusted even thinking about it. They went into the cargo area and searched.

They sorted through the piles of suitcases, bags, boxes and still nothing. "It looks like a number of the luggage were burned with the front part of aircraft." Ed said as he put aside the bags in front of him.

Casey was worried that Derek and her things might have be part of those that burned off. "Derek you find anything yet?" He shook his head and didn't say anything. After three years of living with Derek, she knew his silence meant he was either pissed off or in the middle of a thought. She knew he was pissed off because she was the same at that moment. There was no sign of their bags.

"Casey!!" Derek yelled out.

Casey quickly limped over to him, "You found our things?!"

He pulled out his bag and put it over his shoulder, "I found mine!" he told her excitedly. Casey frowned and things were just _not_ going her way. "Casey just because I found mine doesn't mean I'm not gonna help you look for yours." He assured her.

She offered him a smile, "Thanks." He nodded and they kept searching.

--

After an hour of repeatedly searching for Casey's bag, they grew restless. Casey decided to just accept the fact that her bag was gone. Her pants and shorts were gone. Her shirts were gone. Her bathing suits were gone. All her clothes were just gone. She was stuck with her bloody garments. Casey looked around the area and saw there were more people searching now and quickly realized she just had to get out. It was getting too crowded and it made her all the more angry.

She got out to take a breather and made her way over to the sand and sat down. She felt like crying because everyone else seemed to find their bags. Ed found his bad. Creepy Perv found his bag and a number of the other survivors who went in found their belongings. One of them being Derek, who she could hear calling after her. She was far too angry to even acknowledge him.

"Casey!" Derek approached closer and stood in front of her to hover, "What did I say about being away from me?"

Casey felt like she was being lectured by her parent or something but decided to just let it go. She sighed, "Don't do it" she stated for him.

He took a seat next to her, "Casey I'm sorry your things are gone, but don't go running away when you're angry at me."

"I'm not _angry_ at you, Derek." She stared ahead and avoided eye contact due to the fact she _was_ still pretty angry.

He snorted, "You are because I found my things and you didn't."

Casey shook her head and looked at him finally, "I just don't understand!" she raised her arms in defeat, "I don't understand any of this!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Understand what?"

"This is all unfair." Casey brought her hand out and started to count the ways with her fingers, "I wake up and have two wounds that hurt like hell and _you _wake up without a scratch. I cry my eyes out searching for you _and_ faint in the process while doing it. Then _you_ wake up and find an unconscious me without a problem whatsoever. I find my little bag with some food in it and _you _find the motherload. Then our luggage. I'm a bloody mess and totally need my clothes while you are fine with what you have on and you _still_ find your bag! I mean seriously, what the hell is going on?!"

Derek stared ahead and didn't answer her right away. A few minutes of silence and he finally looked at her, "Casey, you're welcome to wear my clothes." He smiled brightly.

That was the best response he could come up with. Casey shook her head and let out a laugh, "Really?"

"Yup." He nodded, "From this point on, Case, my things are your things."

"Aw…" the anger subsided in an instant.

Derek let out a laugh, "I kinda liked when you wore my clothes that one day in high school."

Casey raised her eyebrows and snickered, "What Derek?"

His eyes grew wide, "Did I say that out loud?" She nodded, "I mean…umm…ugh! Whatever. So deal is we can share." He wrinkled his nose, "'Cept my underwear."

She shared his look, "That just wouldn't be right. I'd rather go commando than share your underwear."

Derek smirked, "Commando, huh?" Casey pushed him forcefully while he laughed hysterically, "Just kidding, Case."

Silence ensued as they both just stared ahead at the water. Casey then smiled at him, "Thanks a lot, Derek."

"Don't ruin the moment, Case." He said blankly.

Casey nodded in agreement, "Right."

* * *

**LOL...Derek's thinking about a Commando going Casey...**


	5. Different About Same Old Derek

**AN: I keep hearing that Disney isn't going to air season four of LWD in the US. I'm totally like bummed about that. Like seriously sad. I want to cry. wah wah. Well that's all for a note. Me whining. **

**Time to read. :):**

**Oh and beepers...I slipped your name in here somewhere. haha. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own nuffin.**

* * *

The day was retiring by the second. Still no sign of help or rescue and the sun had already set. The moonlight was their only source of light.

Derek took his long duffle bag and set it down to where they both could rest their heads comfortably while they were next to one another.

"How are the wounds feelin'?" He stuffed a cookie in his mouth.

"Feelin' pretty good Derek," she decided to give him an ego boost, "Thanks to you."

He turned his head and smirked at her, "Finally willing to admit it. You know I'll--"

She sighed, "…throw it in my face, right?"

He shook his head, "Actually, smart-ass, I was going to say you know I'll always be able to help now if you're hurt."

Casey considerably felt dumb, "Sorry." He waved a cookie in her face, "No, I'm okay."

"Come on, Casey. Eat a cookie. Pleaseee," he turned on his side and waved it at her again, "Cookie, Casey! Eat!"

This was slightly edging back to her roomie Derek. The one she liked spending time with. The Derek that just found ways to bug her, but she always thought it was cute. She started to laugh, "You are so bored aren't you?"

He turned to rest on his back again, "Yeah. So bored, Case. I want to go home."

She nodded, "I definitely do too." She wanted to go back and rest in her comfy bed or that couch she would intently watch shows on. Hang out with Derek at school or at home when he didn't have practice. She sighed, "We've come a long way. Haven't we, Derek?" Casey thought now would be the best time to just bring it up. They had nothing better to talk about afterall.

"What are you yappin' about?" He took a bite of his cookie once more.

"From the way we used to be with one another?" This time she turned her body on her side to look at him, "Right?"

He looked over at her, "Yeah. I actually enjoy your company now."

"So why were you being such a jerk to me this morning?" It still ran around in her mind because it was what started off this terrible day.

He shrugged, "I guess I was still pretty mad that you fell asleep when we were supposed to go out…"

"Oh…" She nodded, "You're the one that put me in bed?"

"Yep." He let out as he ate the rest of that little cookie.

"Why were you so mad?"

He shrugged once more, "I don't know."

She figured she would get an answer like that. Derek still wasn't willing to share his feelings with her. No matter how much closer they've become. The two of them being stuck on this island still wasn't going to change that. "Well, I'm sorry I fell asleep. I didn't know it would mean that much to you."

He snorted and looked at his cookie, "Of course you didn't."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, "Nothing." He waved a cookie in her face once more, "Eat one, Casey. I know you're hungry."

Surprisingly she really _wasn't_ hungry. With the plane crashing, accepting that they were pretty much stuck on this island for God knows how long, food was just the last thing on her mind. Casey shook her head, "I'm not, Derek. Just eat it or save it for later. You may really want it later." He nodded and quickly stuffed it in his mouth, "Lovely." She let out with disgust.

Silence ensued. Finally he cleared his throat, "So you cried when you were looking for me?"

_What kind of a question is that_ is all that ran through Casey's mind once those words came out of his mouth, "Of course, I cried. I was terrified that you might've been hurt and I wouldn't know what I would do without y--" She noticed his face turning red in the moonlight, "Derek? You okay?"

He offered her slight smile, "Fine."

"I'm just glad I'm not dealing with this alone." She looked at him. This time it wasn't really just a glance or a quick look at Derek. Casey just rested there and took a really good look at him. She noticed the red in his cheeks, the mess that he called hair, the crumbs that stuck to the side of his mouth. He was the same old Derek but something about this same old Derek was different. She wasn't sure if it was how helping he could be or how much he'd taken care of her so far. She could easily tell herself it was that but it was something completely different and she just couldn't quite put a finger on it.

She brought her hand up and slowly brought it over to his face. Derek looked at her nervously, "Wh-what are you doing there, Case?"

Casey rested it on his cheek and slowly wiped the crumbs away with the pad of her thumb, "You're a slob, Derek," she said softly.

He let out a sigh that she didn't know was positive or negative, "That's very sweet of you to say." Sarcasm was his specialty. Casey just stared at him some more and she could tell he was getting uncomfortable, "Umm…Cas-Casey?"

Was he really going to say something worth knowing? Or something that would help her figure out what was so different about him? She was ready to know, "Yeah, Derek?"

"Your hand is still on my face…"

Casey laughed nervously and quickly took her hand down. She returned to resting on her back to avoid him. "Sorry. I didn't even realize it was on there."

"No worries." There was an awkward silence, "You totally just wanted to touch my face…"

She turned and punched him in the shoulder, "Shut up. No." It was true. She really did just want to touch his face but she honestly didn't know it was still there or _why_ she wanted to touch his face.

"Mhmm…" he snorted.

She rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject quickly, "I'm sooo bored, Derek!"

He jokingly scoffed, "You don't like being here next to me? Damn and this whole time I thought we were having a blast."

Casey let out a laugh, "You may be kidding but the truth is Derek, you're the only bright side of this."

He blushed again and the joking stopped, "Why are you saying these things, Casey?"

"Maybe because it's true?" she raised convincing eyebrows.

Derek threw her a snort, "I bet you would've said that to anyone you'd be stuck on this island with."

No she wouldn't have. She turned on her side again to convince him, "No, I wouldn't have. Derek we've been living together for years and the last three years were pretty amazing. I seriously am grateful it's you here instead of anyone else. That's the truth, Derek."

He nodded slowly, "Me too, Case." Casey shivered as she sat up and Derek sat up along with her, "Cas--"

Derek was interrupted by Charlie who came over to them, "We started a fire over on the other side if you guys want to warm up. Casey, I can see you shivering."

Casey sat up and offered him a smile that didn't make Derek any happier, "Thanks, cree-- I mean Charlie. We'll go be over in a little while." He nodded and left. Casey looked over an angry Derek, "What's _wrong_ with you?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"Well come on let's go. It's freakin' freezing now." She laughed and he didn't. Now she realized why he was angry, "Is it because of Charlie? Are you jealous?" Casey decided to ask with a small hint of a smile.

Derek scoffed, "Jealous of _that_ creepy perv?" Casey nodded. "Pssh. No."

Casey crossed her arms, "Then why are you upset all of a sudden?" He stared down and didn't answer. Casey knew, "It's Charlie isn't it?"

He looked up at her, "You can go ahead over there and hang out with him. I'll stay here with our things. I'm okay."

Casey rolled her eyes at the way he was acting, "Derek, stop acting childish. I don't even like him. I hardly know the guy and when we were all together he stared like the creepy perv he was. So calm down because you're the only one I want to hang out with."

He instantly smirked, "I'm just learning _so_ much about you by being stuck on this island together."

She let out a pathetic sigh, "And sadly I'm learning _nothing_ new about you." Casey looked down and wanted to point out what she _did_ know, "I just know that you really hate creepy perv because he has a thing for me, which explains why you…" she was quiet and realized what was so different about same old Derek.

He raised an eyebrow, "Well don't leave me hanging. Explains why what?" Casey smiled at him. It was one of those smiles that you give when you want to tease a person. Even though it was dark out, the moon shone on Derek's red cheeks, "Casey why are you staring at me like that?"

Still smiling, "You totally like me, Derek."

* * *

**Sorry, I know. I know. Cliffhanger. ;)**


	6. No Peeking

**AN: Did you guys check out the Season 4 promo for LWD! whooo... so exciting. But blerg I'm still bummed. If you guys haven't checked it out go do so ..it's on youchoob. lol Thanks Lanter :)**

**It's sad how excited I get over this show. o.o**

**ooo and LOST fans.. tonight! 1st hour of the finale. whoot. K that's all. **

**Disclaimer: Nothinggggg. **

* * *

Still smiling, "You totally like me, Derek."

Derek nervously scoffed, "What? That's cr--"

"How could I not have seen this coming?" she told herself out loud, "You have become soft on me ever since we've moved in together. The second time." She thought she should add that in there. "You always take me out to lunch when we have breaks between classes. You even brought me along on this 'trip'" she used finger quotations, "instead of Sam. You still have your mean days but you always apologize. You find excuses to just talk to me." She looked over at an upset Derek, "That's why you called me your girlfriend because you liked the sound of it and found the perfect opportunity to say it because you were jealous of Creepy Perv!" The teasing smile was even worse than before, "You totally like me, Derek!"

Derek shook his head and stood up, "No. Those are all just coincidences. I don't like you, Casey."

She stood up with him and still teasingly smiled at him, "Derek, just admit you like me!" He went over to her; wrapping his arms around her waist slowly as he pulled her closer to him, "Wh-what are you doing, Derek?" she started breathing hard.

He inched his face closer to hers. A small space separating their lips, "Casey…" he breathed.

She fluttered her eyes closed. Was he really going to admit it? Or more importantly was _she_ actually ready for what was to come next? Casey was, "Yeah, Derek?"

"I really _do_ like you…"

She smiled; eyes still closed, "I kne--"

"…as a sister…" he leaned down near her ear and whispered, "and that's the truth, Casey."

She opened her eyes and in an instant she felt hurt. Casey angrily pushed him off of her and smacked him as hard as she could on the shoulder, "That was really messed up, Derek." She huffed and sat down.

He laughed, "You said you wanted to learn something new about me and there. I just told you."

Then there was Jackass Derek. The one that she had to deal with on a bad day. Today was a bad day. This time she didn't know why she felt terrible. While he was laughing and joking around about what just happened, she actually took it seriously. That's what really confused her now. Why was she hurt? Did she want Derek to admit it? She doesn't even like Derek that way. "Wait, do I?"

Derek sat next to her, "Do you what?" She decided to just ignore him and stare out into the ocean. The moonlight was shining brighter than she'd ever seen it before. It gave her some time for thinking. Thinking. Thinking about what just happened and what she kind of wished happened instead. "Casey, are you just gonna ignore me now?" She still didn't answer him. All she could do was sort out the relationship they had. "Casey, I'm sorry." There he went apologizing again. One of the things she pointed out that made him a sweetheart sometimes. "Casey can you stop ignoring me please? It's bad enough we're stuck here and there's nothing to do and if you ignore me the whole time, things will just suck even more." She turned and saw the sincerity in his eyes, "Pleaseeee Casey." He begged.

Casey let out a light laugh, "You're lucky we're stuck on this island or else I would ignore your ass for days on end."

He smiled brightly, "Yay." Derek hugged her tightly and pulled back, "So you're not mad anymore?"

She shrugged, "I don't feel like fighting with you. At least not here. We need eac--" Derek only liked her as a sister. With that in mind she stopped herself from saying those words.

Derek raised his eyebrow once more at her, "We need what, Casey?"

"We need heat." Casey made it up on the spot and always knew lying wasn't her strong suit but living with Derek for so many years brought his qualities into her daily habits. She rubbed her shoulders to make it even more convincing.

Derek gave her a concerned look, "Do you wanna go over to the fire?"

Right now she just didn't really feel like socializing with others. Especially being near Charlie, who obviously had a thing for her, and Derek, who just admitted to not liking her the way she hoped he would. At that second Casey felt like mentally slapping herself for admitting that. She shook her head, "Nope. Could we just back up from the ocean a little bit? I'm getting pretty tired. It's been a hectic day."

"Yeah, I'm not arguing with that." He stood up and offered her a hand, "Come on. We can go over near the jungle. It should be a lot less cold over there."

She took his hand and got up. Derek grabbed the duffle bag and they headed up toward the jungle for the second _and_ third time that day. They settled to where they thought it was less windy. "Derek, I think it's time to let me borrow your clothes."

"Yay!" Derek let out excitedly, whether he was joking or not, Casey didn't know. She just felt like rolling her eyes at him, to which she did. Derek got on his knees and went through his clothes. He grabbed a shirt and some swimming shorts then stood up and looked at her, "Come on let's go." Derek was about to walk into the jungle but Casey stopped him in his tracks, "What?"

She grabbed the clothes from him, "Where are _you_ going?"

"I'm not letting you out of my sight, remember?" He told her once more.

"Derek, I need to change!" she whined.

"You _are_ going to change." She blankly stared at him. Derek raised his hands in defense, "I promise I won't look…" he snorted quietly, "that much." She smacked him on the shoulder jokingly, "I was kidding, Casey!" Derek quieted down with still a smell hint of laughter, "I won't look. I swear."

"Dammit." Casey sighed a laugh, "Come on then." They both went into the jungle to where they were out of sight from the rest of the survivors. Derek got down on a log that sat in the jungle and just stared at her. Casey nervously just looked at him, "Derek, please--"

"I won't look, Casey. My hands will go over and cover my eyes, I swear." He expressed a bit of annoyance. She still stood there nervous, "Ugh! Casey, I've walked in on you before! How is this any different?"

She knew why this was different. It was because those times were all innocent and there were no mixed feelings.

--

_Casey just got out the shower. She went into her room and put some music on. She got dressed and was about to put her shirt on when Derek barged in."Casey?"_

_She quickly covered her body and turned red with anger. Casey looked at him and glared, "DE-REK! GET THE HELL OUT!"_

_He smirked and closed her door. _

_--_

Casey shook her head remembering it. She now started to wonder if he did that on purpose. "Perv." She muttered to herself.

Derek raised an eyebrow, "What?"

He brought her out of her thoughts and she quickly remembered where she was. Stuck on an island. About to change into Derek's clothes because her things were missing. Under the eye of the guy that was making her crazy in more ways than one.

"Casey," he took a deep breath, "it's not like your getting naked or anything. You're just replacing dirty clothes with my clean ones. Now hurry up and get dressed."

"Fine." She huffed. "Put your hands over your eyes… like right now." She waited until he did and turned around, "No peeking."

"No peeking." He repeated.

Casey got out of her bloody and disgusting clothes. She took a peek at Derek, who was still covering his eyes. She smiled then turned back to put on these Hawaii print swimming trunks that he gave her. "Hawaii," Casey instantly scoffed at the sight of them.

"What about Hawaii?" He asked from behind her.

"I'm just totally not a fan of it at the moment," she told him as she slipped the on the shot, which were loose so she had to tighten the strings more.

"Neither am I, Case. Are you done yet?"

"Hold on, Mr. Impatient. I have to tighten these damn strings. Plus you're the one that wanted to come out here with me."

"Well it's a good thing I did. I probably would've freaked out thinking something happened to you."

She smiled at his words. Here he was being sweet again. She lifted up the shirt and looked at it. Low and behold it was that cursed Orangutan shirt. She quickly put it on and marched over to Derek, "Is this some kind of joke?" Casey pointed to the shirt as she raised an eyebrow.

He stood up and smirked, "Still looks great on you." He leaned in closer to her ear, "So do your pink bra and panties," he whispered and pulled back to see an angry Casey.

"DE-REK!" she huffed as loud as she could. She then punched him a girly punch on the shoulder for the millionth time that day, "I told you not to look!" whining like a little kid.

Derek broke out in laughter as he raised his hands in defense, "I didn't look! I just made a wild guess and it looks like I was right!"

Casey didn't know whether or not to believe him but she decided to just go with it. She still wrinkled her nose at him, "I'll get you back, Derek Venturi." She walked back toward the beach.

Derek ran after her, "What's that supposed to mean?!" He asked her as they got back to their spot. Casey turned her head and shrugged mischievously while Derek rolled his eyes at her.

He took out his huge beach towel and spread it for them to lie on. They rested their heads back on the duffle bag, which served as a very comfy pillow. They both faced the opposite of one another because it was just too awkward. For Casey, it was more than awkward. There was still a part of her that enjoyed the company of her roommate Derek but after she realized that there_ may _be feelings, it just made everything confusing. It also didn't help that she had to deal with it at this location. Sure it looked romantic but it didn't feel romantic. At least not yet…

"Derek?" she called from the opposite of him.

"Yeah, Case?"

"You think we'll wake up and be saved?"

"I hope so. I'm kind of hoping this is all just a dream and we'll wake up at home."

"Yeah, me too." Eyes were closed and drifting off became the popular choice at the moment.

* * *

**I wonder if Derek _really_ took a peek.**

**Also next chapter...some DASEY...foreal ;)**


	7. So what should we do today?

**AN: YES! I passed my A&PII class with a B! Happy Dance Doot. Doot.  
**

**You guys don't care lolol. It's just such a scary class. haha. Okay. Here guys. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Casey woke up sweating. She got up and went straight to her kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. Gulping down her water still didn't provide her an answer. "Is this a dream? Again?" she asked; running a hand through the front of her hair.

Casey left her bottle on the table and sleepily headed back to the room. But it wasn't her room that she was going to. She sleepily got under the covers in Derek's bed and cuddled with him. Her head lying on his chest and his arm holding her closer as her arm lazily rested across his body.

He obliged and she got comfortable quick.

Her eyes closed once more.

--

The sun beamed down on them and Casey squinted before she opened her eyes. What she saw in front of her wasn't what she fell asleep seeing. Her head was lying on his chest and his arm holding her closer as her arm lazily rested across his body. "Just like I dreamed it." She muttered quietly to herself.

Derek rubbed her back in circular motions, "Talkin' to yourself again, Casey?" he asked her groggily.

She wiped off some sand that was on his shirt and rested her arm on his stomach once more as if it were a normal thing she'd usually do, "No, just had another dream."

He started to caress her hair and Casey said nothing to stop him, "Care to share?"

"This. My head lying here. Your arm wrapped around me. This whole thing right here. I was home again and I went into your room and did this." She sat up and looked down at him.

He put his arms behind the back of his head, "So you're dreamin' about me, Casey?" Of course the smirk came to shape his lips.

She rolled her eyes, "Is that all you can think about? You?" He frowned and she continued, "I mean this is the second time I've dreamt about being home..." she ran a hand through the front of her hair, "...and it just seemed so real both times," she said quietly.

He sat up, "Well I hate to break it to ya, Case, but we're still here. You and me? We're still here. No one has come for us. No rescue or help. No one has come."

Casey looked around at the scenery surrounding her. Derek was right, they were really still there. There were still those people just lounging around on the beach. She saw some people just waking up, some people crying again, and there were even people swimming. Still no help. Still no rescue. Just survivors stranded on a beach. She looked back at Derek, who was also having a look around, "You're right." She expressed sadly, "We're still stuck here." Casey looked down and started to sob again. Spending those hours and sleeping through the night on this beach isn't what she saw herself doing when she signed up for this trip. She imagined a nice hotel room, a nice pool area where she could swim and tan. Even a beach much like the one they were at but with more people and buildings for shopping. It was the exact opposite of what she was having to deal with now. Thinking about it just made her sad and thus forcing her to cry again.

Derek scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms to comfort her, "Shh…Casey. I know we're still here and it sucks." He rubbed her back as she sobbed on his shoulder, "As of right now there's nothing we can do. All we _can_ do is wait it out."

"I know." She sniffled and lifted up from his shoulder to look at him, "How are you so strong about this whole thing?"

He shrugged, "I guess I'm looking at it like if we're going to get rescued we will. Bitchin' and moanin' about it won't help rescue come faster."

She glared and wiped her face, "I wasn't 'bitchin' and 'moanin', Derek."

He snorted, "Just crying and panicking right?"

"It's too early for this." She sighed tiredly and looked around at the people again. Then she saw Derek grab her bag and took out some water and chips.

"Casey, let's eat." He told her as he opened up the bag of chips and waved it in front of her.

She pursed her lips in thought and shook her head, "I'm not really hungry, Derek. You can go ahead and eat."

Derek threw her worried stare, "Casey, you didn't eat yesterday. You didn't when we left for the airport, you didn't _at _the airport, you set aside the snacks they gave you on the plane because you were out cold, and then we get stranded here and we have some food and you still haven't eaten." He pulled out a chip and put in front of her lips, "Now you're going to eat, Casey. It's not good to starve."

"Who are you my mom?" She scoffed at him, "And I'm not starving myself, Derek. I really am just not hungry! I know I didn't eat anything yesterday and I'm sure I'll be hungry soon so when that time comes, you're welcome to feed me." She pulled his arm down from her mouth, "But until then, don't force me k?"

He nodded slowly, "Fine, but seriously if you don't eat later today--"

"If I don't eat later today you can force feed me all you want." She assured him.

"I'm gonna take your word on that." He stuffed his chips in his mouth and Casey laid back down on the towel and duffel bag. She stared up at the sky, the bright blue sky to which she had awoken to on more than one occasion. All she could think was how perfect it looked, how everything around her looked. Why was this place so gorgeous but the site of her pain? Oxymoron once more. Casey then looked at Derek. She watched him as he disgustingly stuffed more than the appropriate amount of chips into his mouth. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Casey smiled and shook her head, "Nothing." He finished up his bag and took a gulp of water then went to lie next to her, "So what should we do today? Should we watch some TV?"

"Use the internet?"

"How about going to your hockey practices?"

"How about _playing_ hockey?"

They both laughed sadly for a while knowing that they really couldn't do any of those things since they were stranded there.

Derek turned and propped up on his elbow, "You liked coming to my practices?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I didn't think I'd like hockey as much as I do now."

He grinned at her, "Because I'm such an awesome player that you love watching me play…"

Casey turned her head and laughed, "Right now I curse you for being so good. Then we wouldn't be stuck here right now."

"_Sor-ry_ I'm so good that I won us a vacation to crash on an island." He joked, "You know," he sighed, "I kind of wish I took Sam instead."

Casey jokingly frowned, "Hey! Am I that bad? I thought we were doing pretty well for ourselves out here." She started muttering to herself, "Well maybe you prefer sleeping next to another gu--"

He put his hand over her mouth to shut her up, "I'm not gay, Casey." He took his hand off her mouth.

"Mhmm...I'm starting to think…" He rolled his eyes and she kept laughing. "Just kidding. So why? Why Sam instead of me?"

Derek thought for a second and looked down at her, "Probably to save you from suffering here. Seeing you hurt and crying on more than one occasion is pretty crappy for me to see. You know I don't do tears." She nodded in agreement. "If I just didn't give in and bring you with me, you'd be home. Happy, safe, and comfy in your bed."

Casey sat up and stared at him in disbelief, "Derek, you dummy. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard." Casey noticed the confused look on his face, "Yeah. You really think I'd be happy knowing you were missing and there was no sign of you?" He shrugged. "I can tell you now I wouldn't be happy, safe, or comfy. I'd most likely be the way I am right now."

He grinned at her and pinched her cheeks as if she were a child, "Aw, you care about my well-being." It only made her wrinkle her nose at him.

Casey then threw him a snort, "You know what I realized?" He shook his head, "You get me worked up to admit my innermost feelings to you and sadly I know I do it and I _still_ give you the satisfaction of letting you know it."

"I am very _very_ sly like that." He told her proudly then he took a look at the water and looked back at Casey, "Let's go for a swim."

Casey threw him a 'duh' look, "I don't have my bathing suit remember?"

Derek tugged on her shorts, "I gave you swim shorts. Just wear these." Casey then motioned for her upper body and Derek stared. And stared. And stared some more. Casey shook her head and tilted his chin up to redirect his eyes, "Just wear your pink bra or something."

She figured that made sense but she just didn't know why he had to bring up the fact it was pink. "What are _you_ going to wear?"

"I brought an extra pair of shorts with me." He assured her. Casey looked over at the water and wanted nothing more than to jump in. "Come on, Casey. We literally have nothing better to do with our time." He pointed to the others in the ocean, "Those people are swimming." He looked back at her and pleaded, "Come on."

Casey did want to go in the ocean and quickly agreed it'd be a perfect time to. Plus swimming with a shirtless Derek might actually have its perks. Casey mentally slapped herself once more for thinking that. She blushed and looked at Derek, hoping he didn't notice. He didn't tease her so she was off the hook, "Let's swim."

"Okay, let me go change real--"

"Unh-uh." She shook her head, "You made me bring you along with me and I'm going to come with you."

He groaned, "Casey, I'll be really fast."

She shook her head while smiling. "It's a two-way street, _bro_." Casey saw him wince at the word. It made her feel a whole lot better.

--

Casey sat on that same log Derek sat on just hours ago when they were in opposite situation. He stood in front of her nervous just as she was. She quickly realized it was her turn to tease him and mess with him just as he did. _The perfect opportunity_ was all she kept saying in her head.

Casey rolled her eyes at his nervousness, "Derek, I've walked in on you before. How is this any different," she mocked him.

--

_Casey knew Derek was in the shower and she waited until she heard him turn the water off. She quietly tip-toed toward the bathroom door and checked if it was unlocked, it was. "Sucker," she grinned to herself. She heard the shower curtain open and she quickly opened the door. _

"_CASEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" he quickly covered himself with his towel._

_She laughed at him, "Now we're even," and shut the door._

--

He groaned aloud, "Fine. Don't look. Cover your eyes."

"I will."

"Now," he chided.

Casey put her hands over her eyes and she heard him ruffling to change into his swimming trunks. Casey was tempted to do it. She couldn't help herself. Deep down she believed he took a peek at her since he knew what she was wearing underneath, so she sneakily parted her fingers to peek. "_Wow_…" She saw him putting his shorts on and boy did Casey feel like she was doing something evil. She was in her own little world. Hands not even on her face anymore.

"CASEY!"

Casey was shaken out of her thoughts when he yelled her name loudly, "What?"

He marched over to her, "I told you not to look!"

Casey stole a smirk from his book, "I told you I'd get you back." She stood up and saw a blushing Derek, "It's okay…" then went closer to his ear just as he did, "it was _all_ good." Casey left him standing there dumbfounded and continued to head back toward the beach. Derek ran up behind her and picked her up to throw her over his shoulder as he ran toward the ocean. "De-REK!" They went in and he threw her in the water and he laughed at her while she made her way back up to the surface. Casey immediately smacked him on her shoulder, "Asshole."

Derek raised his hands in defense, "You deserved it."

--

They played around in the water for a good while. Cute little moments between the two; Casey playfully trying to drown him by putting all her weight on his head, only to give Derek access to picking her up and throwing her in the water again.

Then the cute moments suddenly changed into serious ones. Starting when Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and this time it wasn't playful. Neither was it a joke. No throwing her either. He just held her in place. Keeping a gaze on her that made Casey stop her shrieking to stare right back at him to where silence ensued between them once more. It was one of those stares that made Casey's heart start to race. He started pulling her closer to him as well as inching his face closer to hers. "Derek?" she breathed as her eyes started to flutter closed.

"Yeah?" she could feel his breath near her mouth 'cause he was _that_ close.

"Do you really like me as just a sister?"

"No. That was a lie." He gently placed his lips on hers in a kiss that turned those mixed feelings into clear feelings. _Shiver_ was the operate word at that very moment. "Casey, I really _really_ like you." He mumbled against her lips as the kiss got heated quickly right after.

"Me too, Derek." She reciprocated and kissed him more fiercely. Here it was. Casey was filled with much confusion before but here it was. There was no more confusion. No more of the 'there _may_ be feelings' because Casey knew now there simply was. She knew for sure there was. She wanted this. She wanted all of this. It just felt right.

Her hands were running in his hair while his hands rested gently on her hips. Then it would slowly start to roam her body. And once more, it just felt right. They continued their heat filled tongue-dueling kiss.

It would quickly become broken apart when they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

* * *

**Well Casey looked too...it was _so_ meant to be. **

**Review :)  
**


	8. Falling

**Disclaimer: I don't own nothing. **

* * *

Derek and Casey broke apart quickly and looked over at the man that stared at them. "Hey, Ed." Derek said as if he were really embarrassed.

Ed smiled at them, "I'm really sorry to interrupt but we wanted go see if we could find the cockpit of the plane. We all thought that maybe we could find a transceiver or some type of contact with the airlines that'll get us out of here. So an extra man would help out."

Derek nodded, "I'm in. I really want to get out of this place and go home."

Ed looked relieved, "Great. We're about to go now."

Derek looked at Casey then back at Ed, "Is it okay if she comes with?"

Ed nodded, "The more the merrier. We'll be over on the other side waiting." He walked away.

Derek held her hand as they made their way off the beach and over to their things. They were silent with one another as they dried off. Casey so badly wanted to bring up what just happened between them but didn't want to unless Derek brought it up first. She was just difficult that way.

There was a sudden awkwardness between the two as they walked over to the other side of the beach. Derek avoided looking at her and made no attempt at making small talk. In an instant Casey felt sad. It was like a total 180 from what they just did in the water. They approached Ed, Charlie, and a few others that decided to tag along on the journey.

The small group went on their way through the jungle. Casey slowly trekked behind Derek, who still hadn't paid any attention to her. Finally he turned his head to look at her, "Come on. You're slow." Casey offered him an awkward smile and nodded along as she sped up her pace. "Why are you so quiet?"

She scoffed, "Maybe because you're ignoring me?"

"Well _sor-ry_, you were the one that hadn't said a thing after he left--"

"Because you didn't!" she battled right back.

Derek gave her a slight smile and the anger that was starting to build up, washed away. "I didn't do it on purpose." He slowly reached over to hold her hand and gently swayed him thumb back and forth for assurance, "I was just kind of afraid that you might've wanted to take back what we did back there…"

Her smile was back and she instantly felt better. Casey shook her head and wanted to reassure him, "No. I meant what I said back there, Derek."

That slight smile became a bright smile. One she could tell she was looking forward to seeing a lot more, "Really? So you like me too?"

Casey nodded, "Yeah, Derek. I really do."

Derek leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. The quick kiss suddenly become longer to the point where they didn't notice they were standing still. They were in their own little world for the second time that day. Finally and shockingly it was Derek that pulled back to stop them, "As much as I want to do more of that, we gotta find the cockpit."

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. That's when Casey quickly realized that this search was more important than her and Derek. Their first priority was to get off this stupid island. She nodded, "Yeah. We can talk about us later."

Derek gave her one more quick peck, "_And_ finish _that_ later…" he gave her his signature smirk, which was something that she was actually starting to find kind of sexy.

Casey laughed and latched onto his arm as they started to catch back up with the group, "Yeah, Derek. We can finish that later…"

They caught up with the group and as they continued their walk, Derek suddenly whispered aloud to himself and loud enough for Casey to hear too, "Us." She looked up at him and Derek gave her a smile, "Yeah."

--

The group walked farther into the jungle and found what they were looking for. The cockpit. The problem was the nose of the plane was rested high above them. Hanging on top of trees where it laid on a bed of heavy branches. From the look of it, it seemed pretty well set. There wasn't any movement from plane whatsoever.

All of them looked up at the part of the plane that was keeping them from getting home. Damaged with markings and scratches as well as the big red Maple Leaf that let them know it was their plane.

Casey, who still had her arm latched in Derek's, was worried. "How are we going to get in touch with the real world now?"

"I have no idea." Derek told her as he still stared up at the plane.

Ed turned to look at the group, "It's not _too_ far up." He lessened the blow because it _was_ pretty high up, "I'm sure if one of us can climb up the tree we could get into the cockpit and work the transceiver. The plane looks pretty stable up there or else it would've dropped at some point yesterday or even this morning."

They all nodded where whispers were being shared throughout the mouths of the followers. Derek looked over at Casey, "He's right. One of us has to climb the tree and find that transceiver."

Casey agreed but had a feeling Derek was about to offer himself up and be hero for everyone. "You're certainly not going to be the one to climb, Derek."

"Why not? I mean I can definitely climb trees…" Casey looked at the trees. They were the weirdest looking trees she'd ever seen. They were extremely tall with millions of long roots hanging from them. All she could think was how they looked like dreadlocks. "…and talk about my upper body strength…" she heard him ramble on to be normally vain Derek.

Casey rolled her eyes, "Could you stop talking about yourself for a second?" he stopped, "Anyway, I'm not letting you go up there. You could get really hurt."

Derek groaned, "What are we in high school again? I'll be fin--"

"I'll climb!" Charlie offered from behind Casey. She looked at him and saw he was about the same size as Derek, so he'd be able to get the job done too. She kind of had a weird feeling he was listening in on their conversation. It quickly passed and she looked over at Derek, who immediately looked pissed as if someone stole his thunder. "I'll be happy to climb up and work the transceiver." He walked closer to the tree as he cockily announced while intentionally staring at Derek. Casey was beyond annoyed now. It was like it was some contest all of a sudden.

"Can you believe him?" Derek muttered quietly to himself.

"Better him than you, Derek." She saw Derek roll his eyes, "Derek, you are still _my_ hero." Casey thought a good ego-boost would come in handy at the moment.

It worked as he immediately softened with a grin, "Really?" Casey nodded and they both watched Charlie as he began to climb the tree. He started at the base of the tree and took hold on one of the many long roots to give him boost to the first branch.

Ed stood a bit nervous, "Son, once you get up there, I'll need you to tell me what you see and maybe we'll be able to get out of here. Please take your time and be careful, okay?"

"Alright, Dad." He had a stable foot and he continued to climb since he had a long way to go. Charlie grabbed a hold on a higher branch and put a stable foot once more to bring him higher.

"You're doing great, son." Charlie kept going and about 10 minutes later, he was almost at the plane, "Almost there!" Charlie put his hand on the branch that would bring him to the plane. He pulled himself up and the group that looked up at him could see he was struggling. But all had hope because he just that close to the plane. He would be the hero that would get them off this island.

"I would've gotten us home, already." Derek muttered quietly to where Casey tugged on his arm to make him stop. Casey watched and stared at how the branches got thinner and thinner as the tree got higher. She even started to wonder how that massive piece of the plane was still being held up by those branches. She shrugged off her thoughts once more and went back into intent watching.

"I'm up!" Charlie yelled as he continued to pull himself up, "I'm up he—_SNAP!_" was all everyone heard and in an instant the next thing the group saw was a plummeting Charlie hitting the ground from the high branches of the tree. The thud was extremely loud that it freaked out each and every one of those who watched. Casey could see the flinch that immediately took over Ed's body as Charlie hit the ground.

Everyone rushed over to Charlie who had a very hard and extremely awkward landing. "CHARLIE!" Ed went to the aid of his son, "Charlie, are you okay?! Charlie?!" Derek and Casey hovered over as well to take a look. Charlie was in an awkward position and one knew he'd broken something if not _more_ than something. Charlie was out cold due to the fact he wasn't responding the sound of his father's voice. "Charlie!" Ed cried out and gently lifted up Charlie's head, which was profusely dripping with blood.

Casey felt light-headed at the sight of the blood. She pulled away from Derek's arm and tried to calm herself down by taking deep breaths and subconsciously running her hands through her hair as well as fanning herself. She started to feel dizzy like everything around her was spinning, "Not again." She muttered to herself. At the moment the scene of the group hovering over an unconscious Charlie started to become a hazy white. The faces, the backs of heads, the ground, the trees: they were all becoming hazy. Everything began to fade whiter and whiter until it all went white. Again.

--

"Casey?" She heard Derek calling her name. "Casey?!" once again being called and the voice still slightly muffled. "Casey, wake up! Are you okay?" Casey opened her eyes and saw a hazy shadow sitting up with her in what felt like a comfortable bed. Not the sand she was actually getting used to. That familiar beach smell was gone too. It became that smell of home she was so used to before.

"Derek?" she realized whose voice it belonged to.

"Yeah. Casey, you're sweating are you okay?" He started to rub her back for comfort. Casey didn't answer him instead she looked around at the dark room where they were having this moment. She saw the walls, she saw the bed, she saw the covers sprawled across them; she looked to her right and saw Derek. He was much clearer this time around and he had concern written all over his face. "Casey, answer me."

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She assured him. "Let's sleep." She lay back down and got comfortable in his arms once more. "Sleep," she repeated and again all Casey could think before she closed her eyes was _what the hell is going on?_

--

"Casey?" She heard Derek's voice calling her name again. "Casey?!" once again being called in that same muffled voice she heard in her dream. "Casey, wake up! Are you okay?" Casey opened her eyes and saw Derek sitting up next to her.

"Derek?" She sat up slowly and there was no dark room, no walls, and no bed, no covers that were sprawled across them. Casey didn't feel that soft bed instead she felt that sand she was actually getting used to. It didn't smell like home, it smelled like the beach that again she was getting used to smelling. Casey _did_ see Derek to her left and he still had that concern written on his face. "Derek, we're not home," she blankly stated.

He shook his head, "No, Case. Still here."


	9. Give Me Sympathy

**AN: Beepers, BooBEE made me laugh. Thanks. **

**Charlie got Booned...that killed me, Lanter. LOL**

**Thanks for all the reviews guysss. I always appreciate them. **

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned. I own this island tho. I should name it after me. hmm...**

* * *

He shook his head, "No Case. Still here." He rubbed her back for comfort once more…or well it felt like once more as her dream Derek had done the same thing in concern for her well-being, "Casey, you scared me back there." She took a clear look around and they weren't far deep into the jungle this time. They were back on the beach, back at their spot where they kept their things. "Casey, answer me."

She looked at the concern on his face once more, "What happened?"

"You fainted again, Case. Again." Derek put emphasis on the word 'Again.'

Casey slowly nodded in remembrance as she stared down at her feet, "Everything went white again. The last thing I remembered was a bloody Cha--" Her eyes grew wide and looked at Derek, "Charlie! What happened to Charlie?! Is he okay?!" Casey noticed the sympathy wash on Derek's face. Casey shook her head, "No…No…" she threw herself to hug Derek tight, "He didn't deserve that, Derek." Casey was quiet as thoughts began to run through her head, "Derek, that could have you," she said almost inaudibly.

"I know, Casey."

"Oh my God, Ed! He must be distraught!" She felt Derek nod against her, "When?"

"He lost pulse about an hour after we brought him back to the beach." Casey held and hugged him tighter then she realized that the sun was setting just as they spoke. The orange that filled the sky to where the bright blue was no more. "Casey, it's okay. I'm fine."

"Derek how long was I out?"

"About 4 hours, Casey."

"Damn," was all she could think at the moment. That was a pretty long time be out. Then she thought about Charlie again. There was a part of her that felt guilty for the reason he went up to climb that tree. She was still set on believing that Charlie listened in on her and Derek's conversation thus leading him to volunteer. "It's my fault."

"What?"

She pulled back and looked at Derek, who had confusion on his face, "Charlie died because of me."

He furrowed his eyebrows at her, "Casey, it's no one's fault. It was that trees fault Charlie died. It snapped. No one could have stopped that branch from snapping, okay? Charlie died trying to save us and we'll all be thankful he did. Don't blame yourself. He wanted to be a hero. I respect him for being just that."

Casey knew deep down Derek was right, "Where is he now?"

Derek turned his head and looked toward the other side of the beach, "Ed buried him in the sand."

She nodded slowly, "Could we go see him?"

Derek shared her nod, "Sure."

--

There they stood in front of Charlie's burial site. Ed sitting in front of it as he just looked down at sand that covered his lifeless son; Casey joined him as she kneeled in front of the sand. "Ed, I'm so sorry."

Ed looked over at her and Derek. He offered them a smile, "Thanks. I'm just glad my boy left doing something great. He tried. He really did."

Derek kneeled down next to Casey, who stared back at the spot in front of her. "Bye, Charlie."

Derek got closer to her ear and whispered, "I feel really shitty for calling him you know what so many times."

Casey looked at him and whispered back, "_I _feel really shitty for agreeing with you."

Derek patted the space, "Rest in peace."

--

They settled back at their spot and it was night. No more orange sky. Certainly no more bright blue sky. Just the moon that shone over them for the second time during this disaster. They sat up and just watched the water. Silently and secretly hoping that there would be a plane. A rescue plane that would get them off this hell hole of an island.

They were quiet and Casey was starting to analyze what was going on. "Home…island…hours…minutes…"

"What now?" She heard Derek ask but she ignored him and tried to sort these occurrences that happened within here and the dreams she was having where she _thought_ she was home. "Casey, I know why you fainted…"

She was interrupted from her thinking and turned her head to answer him, "I know because I saw blood…duh."

Derek shook his head, "No, because you still haven't eaten."

Again, that was the last thing on her mind. Casey sighed, "Derek, I'm not hungry."

The expression on his face clearly expressed annoyance, "Why are you being so difficult?"

"Why are you being so overprotective?!" she snapped at him and he backed off.

"It's just people tend faint when they haven't eaten, Casey." He explained rudely.

"Shut up, Derek." She was annoyed now and it was getting to the point where this island was just messing with her feelings. "Why is this happening? Why?!" Casey muttered aloud to herself.

"Sorry, Casey, but no one's here to answer you." He let out purposely to annoy her more than she already was.

Casey screamed in frustration and pushed him, "What the hell is your problem?!"

He leaned back up and got in her face, "You. _You_ are being _my_ problem right now. All I did was tell you that you haven't eaten and that's probably why you fainted. Then I was going to try and encourage you to eat something because I'm worried. Am I not allowed to be worried?! Shit, Casey. You're not the only one on this island, we're all pretty much pissed off that we're here too!"

"You don't think I know that?" She got closer to his face as she muttered with emphasis.

"No. I don't think you do." He glared; slowly closing in on the gap

Casey just stared at him and his face was just an inch away from hers. Derek's face was still red with anger. Both breathing hard from the annoyance of yelling at one another only made them one thing. Turned on. Casey took the plunge and jumped on him as she crashed her lips onto his. _Shiver_. Derek gladly returned the kiss just as forceful and the next thing Casey realized was that she was straddling him. Her thoughts started to take over and she pulled back, "Derek…" she breathed.

"Yeah…" he leaned up and put his hand on the back of her head to kiss her again but she pulled back to avoid it, "Why?!" he whined in frustration.

"I don't think it's right, Derek." She got off and sat next to him instead, "Someone just died…"

Derek was peeved to say the least but he nodded in agreement, "You're right." There was an awkward silence between the two for a few minutes. "You know if we ever get off this island…" she looked at him and she saw a grin start to form and she just knew something was going to be amusing, "you have no excuse to stop what we just did."

Casey laughed and brought herself down to lie with him, where he brought his arm to lazily hang around her, "No excuses, I promise." She brought her free arm to go across his stomach to where it met Derek's hand to intertwine. "Derek?" He mumbled a simple 'Hm?' at her, "Did you always like me? Or was this all just a sudden burst of like for you?"

He hummed in thought, "Sadly Casey, it's been a while." She squeezed his hand tighter and it wasn't one that showed you cared it was one that was out of annoyance once more, "Ow!"

"_Why_ didn't you tell me?"

"Um, maybe because you're my step-sister, Case. You're someone I've lived with for almost 7 years. We didn't get along…"

"We do now." Casey muttered childishly.

"I know we do now and did you want me to ruin a good thing?" Casey didn't answer because she knew he was right. "I mean it took us forever to actually stand one another and I kind of got scared. So then I thought that if I just ignored my stupid girly feelings that they would go away…"

"They didn't…" she continued.

"Nope. It got worse and worse to where Sam started to friggin' tease me eve--"

She sat up and glared at him, "_You_ told _Sam_ but you didn't tell me?!"

Derek rolled his eyes at her, "In my defense, I didn't flat out tell him he just recognized certain things I was doing much like you did earlier."

"Fine." She muttered under her breath as she crossed her arms, "I guess that's okay then but you still should've told me."

Derek snorted and sat up to be leveled with her, "Okay. How long did you have feelings for me?" he raised a suspicious eyebrow. Casey blushed. She knew she didn't feel anything until they got here. Derek laughed in her face, "Exactly. I bet you pulled the 'he has feelings for me so maybe I should too' act. That's exactly why I didn't tell you because if I did I probably would've made a fool out of myself."

"Hey, you don't know that." She defended herself.

"Really?" She nodded. "Okay, so humor me, Case. How _would_ you have reacted if I told you out of the blue that," he shrugged, "I kinda maybe really liked you?"

Casey was stumped. She honestly didn't know what she would've done. How she would've reacted toward an announcement like that. She looked down, "I don't know." Casey looked up at him and she saw the hurt flicker in his eyes as he went back to rest his head on the duffle bag. "Derek, I know I really like you now." She thought she should assure him of that. It was the truth after all.

He scoffed staring up at the sky, "Pity like."

"Derek…" she chided.

He sighed, "Maybe it was something better left unknown."

Casey groaned in frustration with the childish way he was acting, "Derek, stop your bitchin' for one minute and listen to me." He looked at her and it signaled for her to continue, "Okay, fine maybe I would've freaked out if you told me…" he started to look hurt again and Casey quickly continued, "_but_ that's only because we're so close now. Like you said I probably wouldn't have wanted to ruin that, then you'd be jerky Derek that tortured me all through high school." He let out a small laugh. "Ever since we've gotten here, you've been nothing but great and this whole time I kind of felt like a bigger idiot because it took me forever to see what you really mean to me." Casey immediately wrinkled her nose because she knew this was turning into a cheese fest. Then she quickly realized she still was that romantic deep down and Derek hadn't completely drowned away that side of her, "So, Derek, who cares what would've or could've happened. All that matters now is that we're finally honest with each other."

Derek motioned for her to lie back down with him and she did. "You know I brought you on this trip for a reason. I mean the real Hawaii trip not this crashing on island trip." They both let out a sad laugh.

"What reason?"

"I was _going_ to tell you. But everything was so screwed up… then you figured it out and--"

"It's okay, Derek. I get it." Silence ensued. "So are we…"

"Do you wanna be?"

Casey turned on her stomach to look at him. She smiled and nodded, "Yeah." Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her to lie on top of him, "What are you doing?" she raised an eyebrow as a grin started to form.

Derek joking scoffed at her, "What? I can't bring my girlfriend on top of me?"

Eyebrow still raised; now with now a smirk come to face, "So I'm your girlfriend now?" He nodded as he mirrored her smirk. Derek gently leaned up and gave her kiss. A nice simple kiss.

He pulled back and decidedly mocked her, "So I'm your boyfriend now?"

It was her turn to nod, "I guess this island was good for something, huh?" He immediately pulled his new girlfriend down for another kiss, which turned heated in the matter of seconds. Derek's hands roamed all around her body until it finally settled to run inside her shirt, "Derek--" she breathed against him.

"I know, I know…" he mumbled, "You're gonna stop me soon. Just a few more minutes."

She couldn't deny him because she wanted to keep going too. So it had become a grope and tongue filled make out session for a few minutes longer until she finally pulled back, "Alright Derek, seriously we're giving people a show." They both looked to their sides and saw people quickly turn their heads to act like they weren't watching.

Derek laughed, "Well people around here need some type of entertainment." Casey had a reflex to smack him and she did just that. "Casey, I didn't know you liked it rough…" he joked and she did it again to where he raised his hands in defense, "I'm kidding. I'm kidding." He looked up at her and brushed the hair out of her face, "I wish we were home, Casey," he told her seriously.

"Perv…" Casey muttered jokingly.

"Hey! My hormones have been out of control for months because of you. Now I have you and you can't blame me for how much being here sucks." He stopped the joking and got serious again, "I want to go home, Case. I want us to go home." She rested on top of him; her head on his chest as he ran his hand gently in her hair, "I want to go home and just have fun and hang out with you."

Casey laughed, "Of course you want to have _fun_…"

Derek shared in her laugh, "Not disagreeing with you."

Casey intertwined her left with his right hand and all she could think was how right this felt, "I want to go home too. I want to do all those things too…" She was staring at their hands and she yawned, "Derek…"

"Yeah, Case?"

"I really just want to go home…" she started to doze off.

"I'll get us home, Casey. I promise." Was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep that night.

--

"Derek?" She didn't feel him next to her. Casey sat up, "Derek?"

Derek walked over to her side of the bed, "Case, I'm right here."

"Where are you going?" She rubbed her eyes as she asked.

Derek smiled at her sudden rush of care for him, "I'm just going to the bathroom. Much like _you_ do in the middle of the night."

She nodded groggily and he went out the room. Casey made her way off his bed and found herself heading back into her own room, where she quickly got comfortable in her own sheets. "Home. We're home, Derek." She told herself sleepily and in an instant she fell back asleep.

--

Casey awoke and saw the sun, the sand, and the trees. She was getting frustrated and annoyed with the confusion that _was _her dreams. "No. We're not home, Derek." Casey simply said as she turned around and didn't see him next to her. "Derek?" She looked to her left then to her right. Then all around her. No Derek. "Derek?!"

* * *

**o.o**


	10. I'll Go

**AN: Forgive me for the shortness of a chapter again. It would've been too long if I added it to the next. :)  
**

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned. **

* * *

Casey got up and called, "Derek?!" She ran down to the beach where they shared their first kiss. She ran into the water as she looked across it, "Derek?!" he wasn't there. She ran back into the jungle where they had their clothing changing moments. The place where she peeked and she believed he peeked at her. "Derek?!" and he wasn't there. She started to freak out due to the fact that he wouldn't even consider letting her out of his sight. How many times has she offered to stay behind or asked him to let her go change on her own and he wouldn't have it. Casey paced quickly over to the other side where Ed and most of the other survivors were settled. She quickly went over to Ed, "Ed, have you seen Derek?"

He shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. I haven't."

Casey was about to rush off but she instantly saw how hurt Ed still was over his son. Casey saw him still sitting in front of the sand. She started to well up at the sight of him. Then Casey started to think about how Charlie tried to save them all and how it could have been Derek. How Derek could have easily been the one that she could've witness blood dripping from. How it could've been him who lost pulse and hour after he was brought back to the beach. How it could've easily been him who just died.

She had realization come ahead and quickly remembered what she heard before she slept the night before. "I'll get us home…I promise," she said quietly to herself. She looked at Ed, "I think I know where Derek is. I have to hurry." Casey quickly got up and ran as fast as she could toward the jungle.

"Good luck!" He called out as she ran.

"Thanks!" She called back to him as she continued her run in search for Derek. She knew it almost took them half an hour to find that cockpit and she only hoped Derek wasn't up on that tree.

Her legs were growing tired but it wouldn't stop her. The injury that she had gotten from the crash was still throbbing as she ran on her way to find him. But she wouldn't think about it. All she could think about was Derek. How she had to find Derek and how she had to stop him from having the same outcome as Charlie. Casey wasn't going to let that happen. He meant too much to her to play the hero in all this. 15 minutes of over thinking and she made it to the tree and there she saw him standing in front; looking up at the piece of the plane that could get them off this island. "Derek!" She panted with her hands on her knees.

Derek walked over to her, "What are you doing here, Casey?" He held her up, "Did you run here?" She nodded, "You're leg is still pretty bad, dummy. Are you hurt? Is your leg still hurt?"

"Derek! Don't worry about me right now!" she snapped at him because it was the only thing she could think of.

"Well _sorry_. I was just making sur--"

She groaned, "I don't care. I don't care about me right now," evening her breaths as she looked at him seriously and her signature punch to his shoulder came, "What are you thinking?! You're not going up there!"

He nodded with such stubbornness that is radiated off on Casey, "I have to get us home, Casey. I can't stay here any longer. I know you can't either. If I can get up there we can contact help."

Casey shook her head, "No. You're not going up there, Derek. It was unsuccessful before and I'm not willing to risk it."

"Casey, I've figured this out--"

She threw him a snort, "What? Don't die?"

Derek rolled his eyes at her, "No, I looked up at where the branch broke on Charlie. He put too much weight on that branch and _if_ he didn't do that he would've made it up to the plane. It's like a video game."

"Except in games if you die you can just play again. No dying. No losing your life. You're all new," she scoffed at him. "Derek, no, I really don't want you to go up there."

"Casey!" He groaned, "I can do it!" Derek brought his hands on her shoulders and got close to her face, "Casey, I can. I will be careful. I know I have to shift my weight at certain times so the branches don't break. I will be fine, Case."

She looked down and shook her head. Casey kept running scenarios in her head and kept imagining if Derek would fall and she'd see him bleeding and he wouldn't wake up and then he would die _then_ she'd be all alone on this godforsaken island with strangers she doesn't want to get to know because it just made it all the more real. It all flashed as she heard his voice _try_ to persuade her to let him do this. She couldn't survive on this island without him. Casey knew it would just be too hard to even grieve. Still shaking her head; she looked up and into his eyes, "No."

Derek was clearly frustrated when he turned away from her and paced back and forth, "Casey, I want to go home. I want to live normally. I want to be home with you, Casey." He stopped his pacing and looked at her, "Why are you trying to take that away from me?!"

"If you fall off that damn tree Derek there will be no life to live at home!" She snapped at him once more and tears started to fall in her eyes.

He walked over to her and held her, "Shh…Casey," he rubbed her back to calm her down, "if I don't try we'll be stuck here. No one else out there is trying. They are all scared because of what happened to Charlie. I want to do this, Casey. I need to." Derek expressed quietly against her.

Casey heard the desperation in his voice and pulled back to look at him, "Derek," she stared into his eyes and saw he really wanted to get off this island. He wanted to be home just as bad as she did and knew he was the only one willing to take that risk and save these people. Then she remembered his strategies and what to do and where to have the lesser weight. Then a crazy idea came in her head. He looked at her as if awaiting the okay to go up there and bring them home. Instead what she told him was, "I'll go."

Derek immediately arched his eyebrows with a hint of a laugh, "You go up there? You're kidding…" she shook her head and didn't laugh. "Wait, you're not kidding." The laugh immediately dissolved off his face, "Absolutely not. No, you're not going up there."

Casey quickly scoffed at him, "But it's okay if _I_ let _you_ go up there?" He nodded rapidly. "Derek, you said yourself that the weight had to be less on those branches and I'm _way_ lighter than you or Charlie. I can get up there just as good as you can." He was still shaking his head. "Derek, let me go. I have a better chance at getting up to that plane because I'm less heavy. Come on." She pleaded and once Casey set her mind on something she was going to whine until she did it.

"Casey," he said a bit nervous, "I don't want yo--" She covered his mouth with her hand to shut him up. He did and she walked over to stand in front of the tree. She looked up and saw how high it really was from where she was standing. How high that nose of the plane was. How high that branch that ended Charlie's life was. Deep down she was already nervous but she was going to do this. She had a feeling that luck would be on her side. She was going to get them home. Casey continued to look up and Derek joined her, "Casey," he sighed, "You have to be careful, _please_." He begged.

Casey looked at him and smiled happily, "So I can go up there?!" He nodded reluctantly and she immediately gave him a hug, "I'll get up there and we'll be home, Derek."

"Just please be careful, Casey." He whispered as he hugged her tighter, "Please Casey." He pulled back and gave her a kiss. A kiss she felt gave off how terrified Derek _really_ was about this idea of hers, "Please…" he mumbled pleadingly against her lips.

Casey nodded and gave him one more kiss. A kiss that could either be just one of their many kisses or one that could be their last. She pulled back, "I will."

"Alright."

"I'll be fine." Casey assured him. "I've climbed trees before. I'll be okay." He nodded reluctantly once more and let her go. Casey put a hand on one of the many roots that hung down from the Islands trees. She grabbed it and got a stable hold and began to pull her weight to bring her to the lowest branch of this enormous Island tree.

* * *

**I'm starting to think I should just change my name to cliffhanger...cuz it seems I do it TOO often. lol**


	11. Static

**AN: Here we go...**

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned. **

* * *

"Alright, Casey, you're on the first branch just get to the next one."

Casey continued to climb to the second branch, "These creepy long roots are freaky, Derek."

Derek laughed, "I know, but at least they give you a lift to start climbing."

"Yeah…" She kept going. About 15 minutes of climbing and encouraging words later, Casey made it to the deathly branch that ended Charlie's life. She stared at the very branched that snapped on him and immediately she started to get nervous. "Derek!" she yelled.

"Casey, don't look at it! Don't think about it, I know you can do it! You've gone so far up!"

"Alright, Derek!" Casey took a deep breath and looked up into the sky. Deep down she was hoping that whoever was up there… _please_ don't her die. The branches and leaves covered most of her vision of the sky, but she noticed the sky not as bright or sunny as it was before. She took one more reassuring deep breath and set her hand on the next branch.

"It's okay, Casey! You're doing great!"

Casey didn't answer and took her time and reached up to pull her weight on it. She got on the branch and slowly paced so it wouldn't break. As she got on she heard a light snap, "Uh, Derek?!"

"Casey, take your time don't rush! The plane is right there!" Casey nodded to herself and slowly paced once more and she took her time like Derek advised her to. She took tiny movements where she crawled on the branch and over to the cockpit. She felt the metal and immediately she was relieved that it was almost over; she was a few more crawls away from being able to contact home. Those few crawls were made and she found herself inside the cockpit. "Casey! You did it!!"

"Derek! I'm inside! I did it!!" She announced excitedly; still on her hands and knees.

"Casey, be careful though because we're not sure how stable that thing is."

"Alright," she slowly got up off her knees and stood on her feet and immediately she felt good about herself. She stared at the things in front of her: The backs of two pilot chairs and a million electronic devices. "Derek, I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do!!" She called out.

"You need to find the planes transceiver!"

"What the hell is a transceiver?!" She got closer to the front to cockpit, "What the hell is that smell…" she said aloud to herself.

"Casey, it looks like a walkie talk--" Casey screamed as loud as she could, "CASEY! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

What she saw was two decaying bodies that were obviously the pilot and co-pilot. "Derek, I think I found the pilot and his partner pilot!" She told him with disgust.

"EW!"

"I know!" She mustered enough courage and strength to ignore the two dead, smelly, and rotten decaying bodies. "Ok, Derek! What the _hell_ am I looking for again?!"

"Trans--"

"I know _that_! I don't know what it looks like!"

"Okay, Casey! It looks like a walkie talkie and it's attached to a chord kinda like the spiral--" Casey found what he was looking for and unfortunately for her, it was in the hands of the decaying pilot.

"Ew. Ew. Ew." She muttered to herself. "Derek!" she whined, "It's attached to his hand!!"

Sadly she could hear him laugh from that high up, "Casey, just take it out his hand and all will be fine!"

"Easy for you to say!" she was disgusted with herself for even tempting to get a hold of that transceiver from that hand. Casey closed her eyes in thinking that it would make things easier but once her fingers touched a part she couldn't see, she immediately gagged. "Derek! This is just wrong!"

"Come on, you wimp!" She heard him laugh again, "It's okay! It's almost over with!"

Casey quickly yanked it out of pilot's hands and literally wanted to puke. "I got it, Derek!" She coughed.

"Alright, Casey! Now there's two buttons on the side of the talkie and press em to talk and hopefully you'll grab a signal. Or someone will answer!"

Casey held the buttons on the side and started to speak as she heard static, "Hello? Hello? Anyone?!" _Static_. "Hello?! We crashed on an island! We need to get out of here. Help! Hello?! Anyone?!" _Static_. "No one's answering, Derek!!"

"It's okay, I'm sure they will soon! Just wait!"

Casey tried again, "Someone! Anyone! Please. We need to get off. We've been here for 2 days and we really need to get home. Please somebody answer, we need to get home." _Static._ "Derek, no one's coming for us!" She cried out.

"Casey, don't say that! It might just be a slow sign--" the noise of sudden rainfall came in the air, "Shit! It's raining, Casey!"

Casey looked out the open space of cockpit and saw how hard the rain was starting to fall. She remembered when she looked up at the sky that it was becoming quite gloomy, "Derek! It's raining really hard now! What should I do?!" Casey quickly started to freak out because she was now stuck in a broken area of a plane with two dead bodies, suspended high up on the islands long and tall trees.

"Casey, just stay inside! It's too dangerous to come out now! The branches could break or you could slip if you tried to climb back down! Just stay in until it dies down!"

"Alright! What about you?!" She called out from high above.

"I'll be fine, Casey! It's just rain! It's more important that you stay safe up there alright?!"

"Okay!" She smiled at his protective nature over her. She sat down and brought her knees up to her chest and hugged tightly and thoughts started to run through her head once again. The transceiver wasn't working and no one was responding. She was starting to think that maybe they were just going to be stuck here forever. Casey then trickled thoughts of how long she would be able to survive here without her things; without real food; they might run out of water; they would hygienically have a downfall. Then she wondered if they would die. Would herself and Derek end up dying without saying goodbye to their family? She started to well up at the thought. Their family had no idea where they were and she couldn't even imagine what they were going through. She wiped her face with her shirt, "Derek?! Are you still there?!"

"Yeah, Casey! Still here! I'm not leaving!"

She was relieved but she was still terrified. "I just want to go home…" she cried to herself, "home." Home. The word gave her time to think about _home_. About the dreams she kept having that felt so real and that felt like she was really there but she constantly kept waking up back here on the island. "Home. Minutes." she muttered aloud as she thought, "Island. Hours." she tried to balance the parallels of her dreams. Casey was starting to realize that island time was longer than her home time, which only last about a 1 minute or 2 at the most then she'd wake up hours later back here.

Casey was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a few noises come from the transceiver. "He--" _static._ "Hello?!" _Static._ "Anyone there?" _Static._

"Derek!! Someone's responding!!" Casey yelled in excitement.

"Answer it! Hurry!"

Casey literally pounced over to where the transceiver was. She heard the cockpit creak with the sudden weight shift but she quickly ignored it and grabbed the transceiver. Casey quickly pressed the answering button, "Hello! Hello?! We're here! Hello?!"

_Static,_ "Hello! Who is this?!"

"This is Casey McDonald! I was on a flight from Toronto to Hawaii and we crashed on an Island presumably somewhere near or is Hawaii. There are a lot of us who survived and we need to be rescued quickly!"

"Flight 797 Toronto to Hawaii?"

"Yes! Yes! That's our flight!"

"We had lost contact with your plane about 3 hours before you crashed. We regained a connection and no one answered and we reported your plane as missing."

"There's a lot of us! We survived! Please come rescue us! Please!"

"We have a location of this connection we are sending our Rescue Planes to your location as we speak. Just hold on and inform the rest of the survivors that rescue _is_ on the way."

"I will! I will! Thank you!!" Casey let go of the transceiver and ran over the open part of the plane, to which was still being bombarded with the storm as more creaks were being made, "Derek!!"

"Yeah?!"

"Rescue is coming!! Derek, we're going home!!" She cried out.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah!!"

"Casey, I knew you could do it!! You saved us!" In that instant Casey did feel like a hero. A sudden feeling washed over her and she just felt proud and happy. Then she was brought out of her thoughts with three simple words, "I love you!"

Casey was stunned to say the least. Her eyes grew wide because all it was so far with her and Derek was the word _like_. Now here she was able to make that call to save their lives; standing in a plane where just outside stood a man in the rain, who admitted he loved her… unless it was just a blunder. She had to make sure it wasn't, "What, Derek?!"

"I said I love you, Case! I love you!" He admitted even louder the second time around.

Casey heard it clearer this time and it made her heart race. She started to pace back and forth thinking that would help her come up with a reply to give Derek. Did she love him too? Did she still just like him? She wasn't quite sure but all she knew was all of this was coming so fast. Feelings, admissions, love: all so fast. She kept her pacing and it got more rapid this time. Casey didn't even realize she was pacing to the sound of the hard rain falling. She started to think of all the things Derek has done for her…minus those things during their high school relationship…but those things he'd done for her as soon as they'd been off to college and sharing their apartment together.

--

_Derek and Casey sat on the couch watching TV. Casey waiting for her date to arrive, to which sadly he hadn't shown up._

"_Casey, don't cry."_

_He saw her wiping her tears away quickly. She looked over at him and smiled, "I'm not crying. I'm okay. It's happened before, I'll be alright." She stood up, "I guess I'll just get back into my pajamas." _

"_No." Casey turned to look at him, "Cheer up. I'll take you out to dinner. My treat. You're already dressed so why not."_

_She raised an eyebrow, "Really?" He nodded. "But aren't you going out with Sam tonight?"_

_Derek shook his head, "Nope. He had to go drive down to his parents' house." _

_Casey nodded and offered him a smile,"Sure then. I mean if you really want to." _

"_Yes, Casey. I do. Let me get ready." Casey sat back down on the couch as he ran to his room to change. _

_Casey flipped through some papers on the table and saw a flyer for a new restaurant not too far from their place. She got up and headed toward Derek's room and was about to knock, "He--" she heard him on the phone._

"_Yeah, I'm not gonna be able to go tonight. Something came up. Yup. We can just go check it out next Friday night. Alright. Cool. Bye Sam."_

_Casey realized he ditched his plans for her and he never did that for her before. It was one of the things that started off their closer relationship. Derek would often do things like that for her and living with him just got much more fun and tolerable._

--

Casey kept her pace going as she reminisced about everything. Finally the loudest creak would give her thoughts a break for the third time that day. She stopped her pacing and stood in the middle of the cockpit to figure out what the noise was. All she heard was the loud rain and loud creak that came from the front of the cockpit. "Casey?! Okay! I know I just freaked you out!" She snorted in her head but at that moment there was nothing in her to answer him as the creaks got loud with a slight tilt coming from the front once more. The rain was getting much harder and the tilting would start to get worse and all Casey could do was try to get as far from the front of the plane as possible. 

Maybe she even hoped the weight shift would balance the cockpit, unfortunately it wouldn't. "CASEY! THE PLANE!" She ignored him once more and she was desperately hoping the tilting would stop. Again it wouldn't. The creaks got loud and the rain didn't help the plane become as stable as it was before. The tilt would happen and sadly the plane wouldn't find its balance, "CASEY!!"

"DEREK!" She screamed as the plane tilted completely on the front end of the cockpit and it fell from the tree. Casey was plummeted down to where she felt excruciating pain from her back hitting the seats and farther into the electronic devices. Everything just hurt until she heard a thud and a scream. A muffled scream.

She wasn't falling anymore. All she felt was someone pulling her out and the pain worsening to the extent that it was too much to bare. She felt rain. She felt hands on her. "Casey?! CASEY! NO!" Was all she heard. A simple cry from the voice that she distinguished was Derek's. Casey stopped feeling the pull and she was just still. She tried to open her eyes and all she saw was black hazy flashes of a blur that she also assumed was Derek. Everything was starting to fade once more as she heard him call again, "Casey!" He cried out again, "Case?" she heard once more before it faded and this time it wasn't white that she saw. It was the same black fade that happened after the crash. Casey blacked out. "Case?" was the last thing she quietly heard. Black out.

--

"Case?" He knocked on her bedroom door, "Casey?" He sighed a laugh because she was always so difficult to wake up, "Casey, get your ass up! We have to go!"

Casey heard his voice and immediately woke up. Sweating and panting. "Dream?!"

* * *

**Anyone get the end scene? Especially Derek's words.  
**

**The next chapter is the end :)**


	12. Dream and Reality

**Long Author's Note: Okay, so some people were confuzzled by whether it was a dream or not. You'll find out in this chapter. lol. It'll be explained.**

**The end scene of the last chapter where Derek was waking her up was the same exact way he woke her up in the first chapter.**

**I also wanted to point out that during the whole Island Adventure, everything was written from Casey's point of view. We never understood what Derek was feeling deep down or what he was thinking. It was all Casey's mind as to where the first chapter (before flight) had Derek AND Casey's POV. (does that make sense? Cuz I can confuse myself)**

**So that shoulda been a clue. I was trying to be subtle with keeping it under Casey's eye and apparently it worked. :)**

**Thanks for all you guys who stuck with me. I appreciate it. **

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned!**

* * *

"Case?" He knocked on her bedroom door, "Casey?" He sighed a laugh because she was always so difficult to wake up, "Casey, get your ass up! We have to go!"

Casey heard his voice and immediately woke up. Sweating and panting. "Dream?!" she looked all around her room. The sun shining in through the window; no sand; no beach; she looked down at her clothes and didn't see herself wearing Derek's clothes. She had on the things she slept in that night she slept on the couch. Which shockingly was just the night before. "How do I know this isn't just another dream?" she asked herself. Casey could still hear Derek calling her from behind her door and she looked at her trusty organizer and read it. It confirmed that this was only the day of their departure. It all made sense now to her. Casey realized that the dreams she kept having on the island weren't dreams. They were occurrences to where she'd wake up in the middle of the night at home from her dreams, which were of her and Derek on the island. "It was a dream! I'm not dead? I'm not dead! It was all a dream!!" Casey whispered in excited shock but relief as well. She rushed to the door and opened it then instantly grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him into her room, "Derek..."

"I know it was just a few hours ago but I," Derek smirked, "didn't know you wanted me, Case." Casey smiled for a second until she realized she _did_ sleep in Derek's room that night but all the things on the island never happened. She calmed down and had to tell him they couldn't go. Casey's face immediately washed over with fright. Derek was confused at her sudden look, "Casey? I was kidding I hope you know?"

She focused her eyes on him and nodded, "I know, Derek."

"Then what the hell is the matter with you?" He raised an eyebrow, "Time of the month because I'm not ready to deal with mood swingin' Casey on this trip. I'm ready to meet some babe--"

She put her hand over his mouth, partly because she didn't want to hear about him and other babes as he would call it and the other reason to just make him shut up, in which he still continued to mumble, "Derek, shut up for one second please?" He did. She took her hand away from his mouth, "Okay, I really have to tell you something."

Derek looked down at his watch then back at her, "Do you think it could wait because we really have to get to the airport now or else we'll miss our flight." He grabbed her hand and started to walk but she pulled back and stood in firm in her spot, "Casey, seriously we have to go!"

"Derek, we can't go." She shook her head, "We can't get on that flight," she expressed with such seriousness it scared even her. Of course she had come to find out it was all a dream but it freaked her out because it _did_ seem so real. It seemed so real that she got her real life home wake-ups mixed up with those on the island. She wasn't willing to risk her and Derek's life.

Derek slowly paced in front of her and stared at her seriously. "Casey?" he asked her, "What's go--" he busted out in laughter, "I'm sorry I tried to be serious but you're making me laugh. We really gotta go, so come on!"

Casey shook her head, "Derek, that plane is going to crash."

He laughed at her, "Watching _too_ many episodes of LOST now aren't we Casey..."

She rolled her eyes, "It's an _awesome_ show but I'm serious, Derek. We can't go..."

He raised an eyebrow, "And why not? Why can't we go? Because I'm supposed to believe crazy Casey can see the future?"

"Don't mock me, Derek. I'm serious. We cannot go! I had a terrible dre--"

"A dream, Casey?" He laughed at her even more than before, "A dream? You're going to ruin this trip _I _won to Hawaii because of a dream?!" He groaned, "See I knew I should've invited Sam."

She crossed her arms, "Why didn't you invite, Sam? I mean why _did_ you invite me instead?"

He arched his eyebrows, "Maybe because you desperately begged me? Or did your mind forget that in your dreams of craziness?"

Casey shook her head, "Derek, just because I beg doesn't mean you'd take me. How many times have I begged you for things and you put me through hell before you even consider giving me the time of day."

He scoffed, "You know I have gone soft on you ever since we've been living together. The second time around," he decided to add that in there, "Don't be stupid."

"Derek, why did you really invite me?" she asked him seriously once more.

Derek was getting annoyed with her constant questions that even he knew wasn't ready to admit to her. He wanted to save it for Hawaii, which she was trying to make them miss. "Casey, why are you trying to make us miss our flight?"

"I told you already, Derek! We can't go!" she snapped at him not with anger but with much desperation.

He was starting to get really annoyed with her, "Casey, you're starting to really piss me off."

"Well you're starting to really piss _me_ off." She battled right back.

He went closer to her and stared with disbelief, "Why? It is because I won't go along with you and your stupid crazy dream?"

She shook her head and was about to admit something she was scared to admit. Casey didn't know if it was true but she decided to just throw it out there, "No, because you won't admit you love me."

Derek scoffed with a tiny bit of nervous laughter, "What the hell are you talking about? Seriously are you on something?" He started to blush and Casey couldn't help but notice it. It gave her the confirmation she was looking for, "For the last time, Casey, let's go!"

"We slept in the same bed last night and you did nothing to push me away. You held me throughout the whole time I was on your bed, Derek. You were even worried when I was sweating or whatever," she pointed out aloud to herself and also for Derek to hear. He just stared at her blankly because the news he wanted to spring on her was being turned around to being sprung on him. Casey took a seat on her bed and looked at him, "Derek, if you really love me, you'll stay. You won't get on the flight."

"Well great, I don't really love you, so I'm gonna go." He lied.

She buried her face in her hands. She could still picture the images of the crash and how terrified she was when she couldn't find Derek. The dead bodies, dying Charlie, losing her things, the thunderous rain that made her fall from the plane…she could still see it as if it was what she thought was really happening. The only thing that was worthy of happening was her and Derek getting together but she knew they could easily deal with that here. A normal environment. Not one where they had to learn to survive on the island. It would scare her now even more if Derek got on without her. "Derek, please?" Her voice crack and the tears in her eyes gave Derek a scare.

The desperation in her voice was unlike any other that he'd heard in his life. In that moment he really considered staying but in a split second he went over her reasoning for him to stay and it just all sounded crazy again. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Casey. I really want to go. So am I gonna have my roomie come with or not?" Derek only hoped she would just cut the crazy act and come because this was going to be _their_ trip.

Casey stared at the ground for a good minute or two. She was terrified but she realized she loved Derek as much as he loved her, even though he wasn't willing to admit it now. Casey never got to tell dream Derek that she realized she loved him too. She knew this dream was real or had a strange feeling it would _be_ real and there was just a little sliver of hope that it wasn't but she wasn't really willing to risk it. Especially if Derek was going.

She looked up at him, "Yes. I'm coming with."

He instantly smiled that bright smile she knew she wanted to see more often, "Well come on let's go!" He grabbed her hand and pulled her up off her bed, "Lighten up, please. It's gonna be Hawaii. Beaches. Sun. Surf dudes," he shuddered for his own benefit, "It'll be great, Case."

She put on a fake smile and nodded, "Yeah. It'll be great, Derek."

Casey picked up her duffle bag and sighed. Derek looked at her, "Do you want me to carry it for you?"

In reality, which shockingly was now, he was actually asking to carry her bag for her. In her dream he was a jerk that morning. Now her relief was starting to take over because her morning was much different than the one in her dream. She could only hope her dream's outcome wouldn't happen now. Casey looked at Derek and saw that he was actually willing to do it and it let her know he did actually care. She shook her head and threw him a smile, "No. I got it, Derek. Thanks anyway." Casey freshened up and got changed. She was ready.

He grabbed her hand again, "Let's go." This time he held it all the way to the taxi and Casey neither questioned it nor pulled away. Instead she just held on.

Derek was a chatter box on the way to the airport. Constant mentions of babes in bikinis and how he's gonna surf; Casey did nothing but smile and nod along because there was nothing she was really excited about. Especially his mentions of other girls but she knew their safety was more important. Maybe staying with Derek was the only thing she thought was good because she would've been terrified if it was him alone.

They sat at their terminal; Derek listening to his iPod; Casey absent-mindedly flipping through a magazine she wasn't even paying attention to. All she could think about was what would happen next. Would her dream become a reality or was Derek right? Was she really just having a crazy and deluded dream? Things were different that morning and she was slowly starting lean toward Derek being right. For the first time in forever Casey just wanted Derek to be right.

"Flight 797 to Hawaii boarding..."

Casey patted Derek's thigh. He took his headphones off, "What?"

"Boarding Call."

"Oh saweet. Let's get in line." He stood up and offered her a hand. She took it and they both stood in line. Derek looked at Casey's worried face, "Casey, I'm not gonn--"

She put on another fake smile, "I'm fine, Derek." As they stood in line, Casey started to see the oncoming passengers who stood in line with them. Casey then saw two familiar people who she'd known in her dream and all the relief she had acquired during those moments in the morning, had subsided. She had to know. Casey slowly paced over to the two and tapped the elder man on the shoulder and the two turned to look at her, "Hi. Would both your names happen to be Ed and Charlie?"

Once Casey saw the two nod with massive confusion, she instantly felt herself become even more terrified. "Yes, do we know you?"

"No. No. I just have a good name guessing skill." Casey lied and her eyes grew wide as she turned to a question filled face Derek and led them to hand in their boarding passes.

"What's going on with you?" Derek whispered.

"Derek, I said I'm okay." She assured him once more but deep down she wasn't. She was the opposite.

He nodded, "Good. Everything will be fine, Case." He tried to wash the worry off her face and deep down he knew he wasn't really succeeding but thought once they landed in Hawaii everything would be fine.

They walked in through the corridor toward the plane door, "Yeah. Fine. Right." Casey let out as they took their seats.

After minutes of settling down, they finally took off.

After 10 and a half hours of intense anticipation, Casey started to freak out. The dream flight had her asleep for most of the flight and not a care in the world. Now she hadn't slept. At all. She even watched a peaceful sleeping Derek for a while; it actually calmed her down for a short amount of time she was freaking out. She bounced her leg in nervousness and she stared out the window and around at all the passengers. The child crying from restlessness, which Casey quickly got teary eyed over as she noticed that was the same baby she saw lifeless on the island. She could vividly remember how hard it was to see.

The snoring fat guy who made his neighbor uncomfortable, was the same fat guy who sat next to her in her dream plane's right; sadly this time his neighbor was Derek, who sat in the middle because he offered Casey the window seat. Charlie drumming his fingers to song he's listening to on his iPod, while Ed flipped through a plane safety pamphlet. Then that guy next to her that convinced her to come and that same guy who admitted he loved her as they were stranded on that island together. The guy, Derek, who she admitted to having feelings for as they felt this may be it for them. Now she was here… waiting, anticipating, kind of hoping she was a bit crazy.

She took a glance at her watch and she knew it would be anytime now. So she waited. Waited. Waited. And waited. Still nothing. "We will be arriving in Honolulu shortly. The fasten seatbelt sign will be turned on so please head to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Thank you for choosing Air Canada. Enjoy Hawaii." Casey had all the relief wash on her at the very minute the pilot stopped talking. It was over and her dream was just a crazy old mess--"

Casey hit relief way too soon. The shaky and bumpy feel that the passengers just shook off _because _this was normal, just happened. It wasn't until the drop that gave you the butterflies in the stomach feel, that the passengers actually started to panic. Casey started to panic.

Derek abruptly awoke from his peaceful nap and looked around at the people who were panicking. He looked at Casey who had that sort of expectant panic written on her face. She was breathing erratically as she stared directly into Derek's eyes. "Casey?" He sqeaked.

Her pupils dilated, "Yeah, Derek?"

"Is this what..."

She nodded, "This is."

He shook his head in disappointment toward himself. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "I'm sorry, Casey. I'm sorry."

For a second the panic dissolved into a feeling of forgiveness, "Derek, it's okay."

Derek was freaking out and he had every right to. He immediately knew this could have been prevented if he just believed Casey. He looked around at the noisy crowd of panicking passengers, "I should've stayed home with you. I should've listened to you. I should have." He looked over at her; eyes full of regret, "I'm sorry." She nodded. "Casey, you knew, why didn't you just stay?!"

"I wasn't going to let you go alon--"

Just then the plane took another drop and both Derek and Casey closed their eyes as the oxygen masks dropped from their cupboards. The pilot came on the intercom and there was no sign of hope in his voice he knew things were not getting any better from here, "Sorry for the unexpected turbulence." That was the best he could come up with and the passengers weren't any calmer.

The flight attendant then got on, "Please passengers put on your oxygen mask--" She was interrupted by a sudden drop given by the plane. She quickly ran to her seat and put her seatbelt and oxygen mask on. That gave the passengers even more of an excuse to worry.

Casey, whose hand was still tightly held by Derek's, was staring intently out the window. All she saw was water, which was like before, when she glanced out of Derek's window, and she knew there would be land soon if this was according to her dream. "Casey?!"

Casey turned to see a pale faced Derek staring at her in his most frightened state ever. The oxygen mask covering his face and the commotion all around the plane made him hard to hear, "Yeah?!"

"I just want you to know...!"

"What?!" Another sudden drop occurred and this time the drop was continuous. They were going down and fast.

"Casey! I do love you!"

She nodded, "I know, Derek! I love you too!"

He was able to intertwine their fingers as they felt the pressure in their stomachs plummet just like the plane itself, "I thought I should tell you before we die!"

She shook her head, "We're not gonna die, Derek!"

He was able to give her a raised eyebrow, "What?!"

"We don't die, Derek! We survive!" She closed her eyes as she told him, "I thought I lost you the first time, I don't want to worry, Derek! Just please hold my hand and don't let go!" She opened her eyes and looked around at the passengers. In those last few minutes as she knew the plane was about to reach its end, everything was silent. Her eyes scanned the irate and terrified passengers. Silent now sleeping baby, silent fat man who was hugging his own arms in terror, silent Charlie who brought his knees to his chest and rocked nervously back and forth wording a song to help calm him down. Ed holding on to Charlie with his eyes closed. Then Derek. Derek at his most vulnerable moment. She squeezed his hand tighter, "Please don't let go!"

That loud noise that signaled danger, rang louder and louder. Casey knew it was almost over. The worst would be done soon. Derek squeezed whatever space was left between their conjoined hands, "I won't!" She nodded.

Approximately one minute after the last words were spoken between the two of them, came the crash.

Silence.

--

Casey briefly mentioned that there were differences between her dream and her reality.

There were parallels that ended up colliding into a different outcome.

Dream: Derek woke her up with complete annoyance.

Reality: Derek was a _sweetheart _like the roommate he was to her in those past 3 years.

Dream: Casey asked if he could grab her bag and he rudely declined.

Reality: Derek _offered_ to grab her bag and she kindly declined.

Dream: Arguing to hurry up and leave.

Reality: _Hand holding_ as they left the house.

Dream: Casey had the middle seat.

Reality: _Derek_ had the middle seat.

Dream: Casey woke up as the flight was plummeting to the ground.

Reality:_ Derek_ woke up as the flight was plummeting to the ground.

Dream: Derek grabbed her hand to hold tightly.

Reality: Casey grabbed _his_ hand to hold tightly.

Dream: Casey had no idea this was going to happen.

Reality: Casey anticipated this.

Dream: They crashed on the island where Casey, Derek, and numerous others survived the horrible disaster.

Reality: They crashed on the island where Casey, Derek, and _all_ others _didn't_ survive the horrible disaster.

Silence was all there was. Silence.

* * *

**There is an alternate ending...**

**So don't kill me just yet...**

**I wanted to give this story two endings.  
**


	13. Hero Ending Start

**AN: Yeah, I had a feeling some of you would've hated how it ended. But I took a chance because no one really ends their stories that way...but some of you guys liked it. So that was coolbeans. **

** The beginning of the chapter is the same as the alternate so if you're too lazy to read just skip down to the first -- **

**It's where the change in ending starts.  
**

**Disclaimer: Nothing owned for the last time.  
**

* * *

"Case?" He knocked on her bedroom door, "Casey?" He sighed a laugh because she was always so difficult to wake up, "Casey, get your ass up! We have to go!"

Casey heard his voice and immediately woke up. Sweating and panting. "Dream?!" she looked all around her room. The sun shining in through the window; no sand; no beach; she looked down at her clothes and didn't see herself wearing Derek's clothes. She had on the things she slept in that night she slept on the couch. Which shockingly was just the night before. "How do I know this isn't just another dream?" she asked herself. Casey could still hear Derek calling her from behind her door and she looked at her trusty organizer and read it. It confirmed that this was only the day of their departure. It all made sense now to her. Casey realized that the dreams she kept having on the island weren't dreams. They were occurrences to where she'd wake up in the middle of the night at home from her dreams, which were of her and Derek on the island. "It was a dream! I'm not dead? I'm not dead! It was all a dream!!" Casey whispered in excited shock but relief as well. She rushed to the door and opened it then instantly grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him into her room, "Derek..."

"I know it was just a few hours ago but I," Derek smirked, "didn't know you wanted me, Case." Casey smiled for a second until she realized she _did_ sleep in Derek's room that night but all the things on the island never happened. She calmed down and had to tell him they couldn't go. Casey's face immediately washed over with fright. Derek was confused at her sudden look, "Casey? I was kidding I hope you know?"

She focused her eyes on him and nodded, "I know, Derek."

"Then what the hell is the matter with you?" He raised an eyebrow, "Time of the month because I'm not ready to deal with mood swingin' Casey on this trip. I'm ready to meet some babe--"

She put her hand over his mouth, partly because she didn't want to hear about him and other babes as he would call it and the other reason to just make him shut up, in which he still continued to mumble, "Derek shut up for one second please?" He did. She took her hand away from his mouth, "Okay, I really have to tell you something."

Derek looked down at his watch then back at her, "Do you think it could wait because we really have to go to the airport now or else we'll miss our flight." He grabbed her hand and started to walk but she pulled back and stood in her firm in her spot, "Casey, seriously we have to go!"

"Derek, we can't go." She shook her head, "We can't get on that flight," she expressed with such seriousness it scared even her. Of course she had come to find out it was all a dream but it freaked her out because it _did_ seem so real. It seemed so real that she got her real life home wake-ups mixed up with those on the island. She wasn't willing to risk her and Derek's life.

Derek slowly paced in front of her and stared at her seriously. "Casey?" he asked her, "What's go--" he busted out in laughter, "I'm sorry I tried to be serious but you're making me laugh. We really gotta go, so come on!"

Casey shook her head, "Derek, that plane is going to crash."

He laughed at her, "Watching too many episodes of LOST now aren't we Casey..."

She rolled her eyes, "It's an _awesome_ show but I'm serious, Derek. We can't go..."

He raised an eyebrow, "And why not? Why can't we go? Because I'm supposed to believe crazy Casey can see the future?"

"Don't mock me, Derek. I'm serious. We cannot go! I had a terrible dre--"

"A dream, Casey?" He laughed at her even more than before, "A dream? You're going to ruin this trip _I _won to Hawaii because of a dream?!" He groaned, "See I knew I should've invited Sam."

She crossed her arms, "Why didn't you invite, Sam? I mean why _did_ you invite me instead?"

He arched his eyebrows, "Maybe because you desperately begged me? Or did your mind forget that in your dreams of craziness?"

Casey shook her head, "Derek, just because I beg doesn't mean you'd take me. How many times have I begged you for things and you put me through hell before you even consider giving me the time of day."

He scoffed, "You know I have gone soft on you ever since we've been living together. Don't be stupid."

"Derek, why did you really invite me?" she asked him seriously once more.

Derek was getting annoyed with her constant questions that even he knew wasn't ready to admit to her. He wanted to save it for Hawaii, which she was trying to make them miss. "Casey, why are you trying to make us miss our flight?"

"I told you already, Derek! We can't go!" she snapped at him not with anger but with much desperation.

He was starting to get really annoyed with her, "Casey, you're starting to really piss me off."

"Well you're starting to really piss _me_ off." She battled right back.

He went closer to her and stared with disbelief, "Why? It is because I won't go along with your stupid crazy dream?"

She shook her head and was about to admit something she was scared to admit. Casey didn't know if it was true but she decided to just throw it out there, "No, because you won't admit you love me."

Derek scoffed with a tiny bit of nervous laughter, "What the hell are you talking about? Seriously are you on something?" He started to blush and Casey couldn't help but notice it. It gave her the confirmation she was looking for, "For the last time, Casey, let's go!"

"We slept in the same bed last night and you did nothing to push me away. You held me throughout the whole time I was on your bed, Derek. You were ever worried when I was sweating or whatever," she pointed out aloud to herself and also for Derek to hear. He just stared at her blankly because the news he wanted to spring on her was being turned around to being sprung on him. Casey took a seat on her bed and looked at him, "Derek, if you really love me, you'll stay. You won't get on the flight."

"Well great, I don't really love you, so I'm gonna go." He lied.

She buried her face in her hands. She could still picture the images of the crash and how terrified she was when she couldn't find Derek. The dead bodies, dying Charlie, losing her things, the thunderous rain that made her fall from the plane…she could still see it as if it was what she thought was really happening. The only thing that was worthy of happening was her and Derek getting together but she knew they could easily deal with that here. A normal environment. Not one where they had to learn to survive on the island. It would scare her now even more if Derek got on without her. "Derek, please?" Her voice crack and the tears in her eyes gave Derek a scare.

The desperation in her voice was unlike any other that he'd heard in his life. In that moment he really considered staying but in a split second he went over her reasoning for him to stay and it just all sounded crazy again. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Casey. I really want to go. So am I gonna have my roomie come with or not?" Derek only hoped she would just cut the crazy act and come because this was going to be _their_ trip.

**--**

Casey stared at the ground for a good minute or two. She was terrified but she realized she loved Derek as much as he loved her, even though he wasn't willing to admit it now. Casey never got to tell dream Derek that she realized she loved him too. She knew this dream was real or had a strange feeling it would be real and there was just a little sliver of hope that it wasn't but she wasn't really willing to risk it. She died on that island. Casey didn't want to go through that again. She just couldn't do that to herself. Again.

She shook her head, "No, I can't go."

Derek's face fell, "Are you serious? Really, Casey? You're really not going to go with me to Hawaii?" He was hurt and upset to say the least. This was for them. He had a plan for them on this trip and now she was backing out.

Casey stood up and was face to face with him, "Derek, please. Please don't go. I know you love me and you have to trust me. Just don't go. We could just go to the beach here instead." She offered.

Derek shook his head and snorted, "We always go there, Casey. This is Hawaii! We were so excited about Hawaii!"

"Derek, please." She begged of him once more, "_Please_, Derek." She started to well up, "Derek, you love me. I know you do." He blushed once more at the fact she kept having her tell him something not even he admitted to her yet, "If you love me as much as I know you do, you won't get on that flight. You'll just stay here with me. You will stay here and we'll be safe. We'll be okay. I promise we'll be okay." Casey took a step closer and he took a step back as if she had a disease. Immediately Derek could see the pain and hurt flicker in her eyes and her face, "Please." She cried once more.

Derek was starting to get freaked out by her, "Casey, stop." He shook his head and kept backing away, "Stop acting crazy. You're acting crazy! You're freaking _me_ out!" He looked down at his watch as he paced backwards and out of her room, "Casey, I'm really going to be late. Are you sure you're not coming?"

She sat back down on the edge of her bed and wiped her face. Casey looked back up at him, "No…" she said almost inaudibly, "I can't go, Derek."

He stopped his pacing and stared at her from outside her room, "I really wanted you to come with me, Case, but I can't force you to go. Especially if you're acting the way you are. I guess this is for the best." Derek got out of her sight and grabbed his things to leave.

Casey heard the door close and she cried harder. She dropped on her bed to sob. "No." Casey threw the covers over her head and buried herself in her bed. She closed her eyes as the tears squeezed out the creases. "No, Derek. No." She forced herself to wake up, "Please wake me up again! How do I know this is real?! Wake me up!! PLEASE!"

Casey grew quiet. She just admired the silence that was her bedroom. All she heard was her breathing as her chest heaved up and down and it let her know she was truly awake. She woke up from a dream that felt so real. She chose not to go on this flight. She let Derek go on his own. She went over everything that happened on that island. There were too many things that could have gone different if Casey wasn't there. They were going to be rescued because she climbed up that tree. If she didn't climb that tree then that call might have not been made. That call was made in the cockpit that her and the group found. The group led by Ed, whom they met at the fuselage. They only went to the fuselage because she complained about her things. Then she thought about what happens _if_ Derek did find that cockpit. She wouldn't be there to stop him from playing hero. Like Charlie tried. He could have become what Charlie had become. Casey wasn't sure. She wasn't sure if the same outcomes would happen if she weren't there, which let her to only assume one thing, "I'm letting Derek plummet to his death." She said aloud then grew quiet once more, "Derek saved me on that island. I can't let him die." She sprung up from her bed, "I'm not going to let him die. I love him too much. I can't."

Casey jumped off her bed and ran as fast as she could to that door. Part of her hoped that he would still be standing out there still waiting for his taxi but once she step foot out that doorway he was already gone. Casey's breathing started to shorten because she knew he was that much closer to getting on that plane. She ran back in the house and grabbed her car keys and drove her way to the airport. She ran a few red lights and even swerved a million times while she tried to find her cell phone in her bag. "Dammit! Left that sucker at home! Please, Derek. Still be there."

Casey made it to airport. Parked her car and ran inside. She stood in the middle of a crazy busy airport and at that moment she asked herself what the hell was she going to do now. She didn't have a ticket; she didn't have a phone to call him; she didn't even have money on her to buy a ticket. Casey decided to just try and get through that security check point and try to get to that terminal. She went through to the security check point and just like she predicted she was stopped. "Ma'am, you need a boarding pass to get to the terminal."

"I don't have one. I really just need to tell someone something. It's important!"

"Ma'am, we can't let you through without a boarding pass." The airline worker told her much ruder than before.

Casey started to get angry, "I need to get through!!" The worker nodded a signal and two security guards marched over to Casey and she immediately backed off, "I'm leaving! I'm leaving!"

There Casey stood outside the airport where she started to cry again. This was it. Derek left and now the only hope she had was that Derek _was_ right. She was just being crazy again. Casey prayed to the greater being that Derek would be safe off that plane and he wouldn't crash on an island. She wiped her face once more and walked a slow walk back to her car. Casey got into her driver's seat and broke down while she punched her steering wheel. "I'm so stupid. I should have just gone with him. I should've tried harder!!" she cried out to herself.

--

Casey made it home and parked in front of their building. She shut off the engine and just stared blankly ahead. How different it was all going to be without him around. No more on-purpose annoyances. No more lunches or dinners and just hanging out together. No more road trips to London to see their family. No more hockey practices to attend just so she could be Derek's biggest cheerleader to embarrass him. No more teasing. No more pranks. No more feelings or _admittance_ to feelings. No future relationship. No future love. No. More. Derek.

Casey wiped that last tear that flowed from her over-crying eyes. "No more." She brought all the strength she had left to get out of that car and slowly dragged her feet as she went to her door. Casey opened it and deep down she hoped he'd be sitting on that couch just flipping through channels and sadly he wasn't there. Silence still took over their apartment. She slowly paced over to the couch and rested on it. She crawled into a ball and threw the blanket over her and she cried more.

"Casey?" Casey arched her eyebrows and started to think she was so out of it that she was starting hearing his voice. She slowly pulled the blanket off her face. Terrified. "Casey?" She saw Derek come in front of the couch from behind.

Casey darted up; standing on the couch, "Derek?!" He nodded, "But…" She looked from his room to the front door, "what are you doing here?!" She wiped her face.

He stood in front of her, "I didn't get on, Casey."

Casey smiled and had hope in her eyes, "So you believe me?"

Derek shook his head reluctantly, "No. I still think you're crazy…" Casey frowned, "but what you said…"

"What? What did I say?" she sniffled.

"You told me more than once, Casey…" he put his hands on her hips and brought her off the couch to be leveled with him, "You told me more than once…" he wiped some of her tears away, "If I loved you I would stay and not get on the flight." He inched closer to her closing the space between them, "I didn't get on the flight and I stayed…" he slowly told her.

Casey smiled with watery eyes, "So you love me then?"

Derek wrapped his arms around her waist and closed any remaining space between the two, "Yes."

Casey immediately brought her face to Derek's as her lips brushed on to his in what felt like the most real kiss she'd ever taken part in. She brought her arms up to wrap around his neck. She mumbled, "I love you too." He pulled back and they simply hugged, "I love you too," she repeated. He kissed her neck and immediately Casey found herself bring her lips to Derek's once more. His hands roamed down her waist and behind thighs where he brought her up to wrap her legs around his waist. She went closer to Derek's ear, "Let's go do that thing I kept stopping us from doing…"

Derek pulled back and laughed, "What?"

Casey blankly stared at him and realized this Derek didn't experience that. It was a dream after all, "Nothing. Let's just go." She heatedly kissed him again.

"Which room?" He mumbled against her.

"Yours…" she breathed with her eyes closed, "your bed is much softer." He quickly started to run toward the room and Casey shrieked laughter. He shut the door and made their way onto the soft bed Casey loved so much.

--

That day they ended up staying in and they "bettered" their newfound relationship. Derek kept telling her how he planned to tell her in Hawaii and how her figuring out he loved her just ruined that whole plan. Casey couldn't shake off the fact that most of the conversations she had with this Derek was the same exact conversations she had with dream Derek. It freaked her out but at the same time all she could think was how grateful she was that he loved her enough not to get on the plane because she still had a feeling her dream was true.

Night came. That night they were officially a couple. A couple in love, if it could get any better than that. There they both rested on the couch where Derek had his arms wrapped from behind as they watched TV. Derek grabbed the remote from her hand, "Hey! I was watching that!"

"Casey, I'm seriously gonna have to ban you from watching this show. I'm gonna delete them all from our TiVo."

Casey turned around and gave him a kiss, "You don't really mean that do you?"

He smiled with his eyes opening, "Fine. No more LOST for now or else you're going to have your crazy dreams again…" he laughed and she didn't.

Casey stared at him seriously, "You still don't believe me…"

He sighed and knew she was really starting to believe that this dream of hers was real. "Casey, come on. It was a _dream!_ A crazy dream that kept me from having a getaway with my girlfriend. It's not real Casey and I'm alive and well so there's no need to worry or push this nightmare you had." Casey turned back around and stared at the TV but she wasn't really paying attention. The things Derek were telling her started to run through her head. Derek knew she wasn't letting it go, "Casey…" he gave her a kiss on her neck, "let's just forget about it, okay? Don't stress yourself out. Everything is okay. We're fine here at home."

Casey started to think maybe he was right. Maybe she should just forget it because he was here and he was fine. All those things she cried about losing, was there with her. There was no reason to stress over it like he said. "You're right." She nodded against him, "You're right, Derek."

"Good." Casey turned and gave him a kiss and he pulled back, "Let's go to the beach tomorrow…"

"Yeah." She smiled thinking about that swim she had with Derek. She started getting hot thinking about it…then her face fell, "Oh, I think it might rain." She frowned.

Derek wrinkled his nose, "Boo." Then he flipped through the channels, "Let's check the weather forecast. Edwin's favorite." Casey and he laughed and she turned back around to look at the TV. "Ah-ha tomorrow is—Hey! What in the world!"

The local news weather was interrupted. "Breaking news." Casey felt her heart start to race while Derek was still annoyed with news interrupting his weather report. Casey had nervousness wash over her as she looked back at the TV. "This just in," the reporter looked up into the camera, "we have just gotten report that Air Canada Flight 797..." Casey sat up from the couch and watched while her breathing was becoming more erratic, "…to Hawaii has lost contact with airport officials. Flight 797 was left from Toronto Pearson International this morning and was scheduled to land shortly at Honolulu International." Derek sat up and stared in disbelief, "At this time this is all we have but stay with us and we'll keep you updated on this breaking news." The weather came back on and it was the last thing Derek could focus on.

Derek looked to his left and saw a distraught Casey, "Casey…" he reached over to touch her shoulder but she immediately dodged it. Derek frowned and backed off.

Casey ran a hand in the front of her hair and continued to stare down, "I'm not crazy…" she sniffled, "It happened." She stifled a pathetic laugh, "It actually happened. I'm not crazy…" she shook her head.

"Casey, I'm sorry I didn't believe you." Derek felt terrible because this was the last thing he expected to happen.

"We are following breaking news…" Derek and Casey both turned their attention back to the TV, "it is now reported that Flight 797 from Toronto to Hawaii has crashed. At this time we aren't sure of any survivors or what caused the plane to crash. Continue to stay with us and we'll keep you update on this tragic news."

"I could've lost you, Derek." She kept her gaze on the TV. "I could have lost you today." Casey turned to look at him and Derek instantly softened at the sight of her tears.

"Aw, come here." He held her, "Casey, I'm alive. It's okay. I'm alive." He pulled back and cupped her face, "Casey, I have no idea how you did it. How this dream of yours happened but you saved me." Derek gave her a quick kiss, "You saved me." He hugged her again and he felt the wetness on his shoulder as she cried a few more tears, "Casey, it was all you. You're the reason I'm here. My hero."

She was the hero in her dream._ Ending_ as she died to save them. She was the hero in her real life. _Start_ of a new life with Derek. Casey nodded against him, "Hero," she repeated.

She was the Hero. Ending. Start.

* * *

**Okay. Hope you guys liked this one...I personally like both endings. Different decisions made Casey gave her different endings. :)**

**Review! Review! One last time. lol Give me that 200..or close to it. I'll take what I can get. haha. Sad.**

**So seriously guys, it's been good. Thanks to those who stuck by and read. I always appreciate it.  
**


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